His Fault
by ronny-of-yore
Summary: [Complete] Genma's influence forced Kakashi to see a 21yr old Sakura in a different light. Problem is he didn't want to. Watch as he tries everything he can not to succumb to his problem. What will Sakura do when she finds out? KakaSaku
1. His Fault

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Naruto.**

**Warning: Adult Theme Scented**

_Kakashi looked up to find a naked pink haired woman in all her womanly glory. One hand was currently squeezing a pert nipple between her delicate fingers while the other had traveled south._

'_I hope your hungry sensei, here eat your fill.'_

Kakashi suddenly felt something warm, hard, and heavy thrust into his hand.

"Are you alright Kakashi-sensei?"

A concerned Haruno Sakura stood before him garbed in the customary Jounin uniform. She had just handed him a bowl of rice.

Kakashi quickly snapped out of his horrid…and slightly erotic… daydream. Kakashi hoped like hell that the young woman hadn't noticed exactly where his eye had been staring.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for dinner."

The truth was that Kakashi wasn't fine. He quickly lowered his bowl into his lap as he hunched over to eat, back to her.

Naruto and Sakura had become close friends to him over the twelve year span.

This is why it extremely bothered him when he was plagued with such lecherous thoughts while around his pink haired friend. This was Sakura he was talking about for Kami's sake!

The same woman who mended his wounds, called him an old pervert, and would quite possibly tear him a new asshole if she found out about his lust filled thoughts staring her.

'_This is all "his" fault!'_

Kakashi solely put the blame on their group's fourth and final member. This was all 'his' doing indeed.

Sakura eyed his back curiously as she headed over to the other side of the campfire to sit down on her log.

"I'm just sorry that there's no meat to go with this. I swear those two were supposed to be back hours ago. My stomach couldn't wait anymore, so I made the rice. I hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all, I was… rather hungry myself."

The two continued to eat their dinner in silence as the forest animals went about their business around them. The sky was slowly turning to night and the nocturnal beasts and insects were just starting to awaken.

Kakashi knew he should have been worried about the other's absence, but then again the one was a very bad influence, while the other was just plain annoying. Kakashi mentally shrugged his shoulders.

'_They're elite shinobi. I'm their leader, not their babysitter.' _

The untroubled silver haired ninja polished off the rest of his dinner without another thought.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Kakashi had his back pressed against the rough bark of a tree as a naked soft body slowly lowered it's self to rest in front of his concealed bulging hardness._

"_Here sensei let me take care…"_

"….of that for you."

Kakashi almost jumped out of his skin. His empty bowl dropped out of his hands and his cat like reflexes kicked into high gear. He caught the white ceramic inches from the hard grass covered ground.

Sakura took the item from his slightly shaking hands. She was now convinced that there was something definitely wrong with her Team Leader.

_A pink haired busty nurse seductively pushed up his headband to place her warm hand upon his slowly warming flesh._

"_Kakashi sensei, have I ever told you how incredibly sexy you are? Mm, yes... You are so…"_

"…hot. I think you may be coming down with something."

Kakashi wished like hell that the warped erotic flashes would stop plaguing his fragile little mind. He whimpered pathetically under her touch. Sakura took this as a sign that she was correct in her assumptions. She removed her hand and Kakashi desperately tried to beat down the feeling of loss.

Sakura went about hurriedly setting out his bedroll under the blanket of darkening sky, a few feet from the warm fire.

"Kakashi sensei, as our team's medic I am ordering you to go lay down immediately."

Kakashi was never one to be ordered and especially not by someone 14 years his junior. He crossed his arms and stared at her ominously.

"Sakura, I can assure you that I'm fine."

She was having none of his attempted insubordination, however. A vein popped in her wide forehead as she raised a shaking fist. She was desperately trying to control her anger. It was never a good thing to cause bodily harm to your injured patient.

"Sensei…bed…now."

Normally Kakashi would never have submitted without a lengthy argument, with a few love taps from his favorite kunoichi mixed in. Unfortunately, with the utterance of those particular forced words…

Kakashi sighed as the blood rushed to his lower body.

Sakura dropped her fist as her eyebrows skyrocketed. He had never given in so easily before. She watched him flop down onto his makeshift bed for the night dejectedly. She quickly recovered herself as she scrambled over to his side.

Sakura knelt beside Kakashi, who was now lying down on his stomach. His face was pressed into the fabric of his bedroll.

Sakura sighed.

"Kakashi, you're going to have to turn over for me to examine you."

Kakashi's response was muffled as he still had his face smashed into his bed.

"What was that?"

He moved his face slightly to the side away from Sakura.

"I said no."

Sakura's anger was starting to rise again. Her hands shakily reached for his neck, but thankfully her attempt at strangulation was halted, as two angry voices approached.

"Damn it! I'm starving and it's all your fault!"

"Hey, how was I to know a pretty lady was going to show up and vie for my affections?"

"She wouldn't have stopped if you hadn't thrown me into the river, baka!"

"She looked in need of cooling off. It was hot today."

"I'll say she did! She beat my ass!"

Genma and a black and blue Naruto trudged into the camp. The two abruptly shut up as they took in the sight before them. Sakura was still leaning over a prone Kakashi, who faced the other direction. The girl quickly dropped her hands.

Genma's voice held a slight bit of lechery to it as he spoke.

"What have you been doing to our precious team leader, Sakura?"

Sakura scowled at the senbon wielding ninja, as she rose to her feet. She nudged the side of Kakashi's thigh with her sandaled foot, as she growled out her response.

"Our fearless leader is sick and won't let me take care of him. Hey, is that all the fish you guys caught?"

Five scrawny looking fish hung from a line by Naruto's side. It was the blonde's turn to scowl as Genma neared Kakashi's silent and unmoving body.

"Some of us were busy flirting instead of trying to catch our dinner!"

Genma waved off the younger man's comment as he knelt down by Kakashi's head. Sakura and Naruto began to prepare the fish while glaring at him.

"I had my dinner already. What do you think I was doing when I 'walked her home'?"

"Uh, you pig!"

"You bastard!"

Genma easily dodged the two kunai that sailed toward his head. He heard the weapons sink into the tree beside him as he poked his silent friend in the back of the head.

"Hey, you sick?"

Kakashi grumbled something unintelligible.

Genma bent closer to his friend. His head was just inches above the Copy Ninja's.

In the next second, Genma found strong powerful arms wrapped around his head, choking him. The womanizer's body flailed around as Kakashi put more pressure into the headlock.

"K-Kakashi, what the hell…!"

The other two took notice, but neither gave a rat's ass as the orally fixated ninja had flared both of their anger. Sakura had vague thoughts that over exertion on Kakashi's part may be bad for his heath since he was apparently sick.

Then, she remembered his stubbornness and quickly dismissed any sympathy she felt.

Kakashi growled into Genma's ear as he tried to smash his friends face into his bedroll.

"You will never talk about Sakura like that around me again. Do you got that Genma? Never, do you hear me?"

At first, Genma had no idea what had irked his friend so much. He had been saying things like how he'd like to bend Sakura over that log across the fire from them for years. Kakashi had never gotten so mad before.

Then it came to him. He couldn't help the wide smile that spread across his face, even as it was being shoved into the hard ground.

'_He's finally seen the world through my eyes.'_

Genma was able to come up for air as Kakashi finally released him. He rubbed his pained neck tenderly and looked over to pink haired woman in question.

She was currently threatening Naruto with the knife she was using to de-bone the fish. (He had apparently gotten fish scales in her hair.)

"I wonder if she's as wild in the sack as…."

Needless to say, Kakashi's gloved fist met the side of Genma's face, hard.

**QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ**

**Author's Note:**

LOL Just a little carnivorous plot bunny that tackled me this morning when I woke up!

Oh Genma…. XD


	2. Slip

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

_**Chapter 2: Slip**_

The return journey for the group had been relatively the same as the previous night. Except, the Copy Ninja had some how found a way to refrain from causing Genma bodily harm.

Now, it wasn't that the senbon sucking shinobi had finally learned to shut his mouth. It was quite the contrary. Genma was just smart enough to formulate a plan.

The brown haired man realized that he had free reign to mumbled lewd things under his breath, from an exact distance where he was far enough away from Sakura's ears, but close enough to her to keep him self safe.

You see, Kakashi couldn't continue to beat on him without their little sexy cherry blossom inquiring to the cause.

Meanwhile, the naughty daydream inducing pink haired woman kept casting suspicious glances around the forested area. Sakura could swear it felt like the trees had eyes. In between her neurotic impulses, she found time to reprimand her blonde haired friend for his random acts of stupidity.

Poor Naruto didn't understand why his pink haired friend was so irritable. In the end, he chalked it up to it being 'that time of the month'.

Needless to say, all four members of their little ragtag team were more than thankful once finally they crossed the threshold into their beloved village. At least, one of the team was a little more grateful than the rest as the after noon sun shown down upon them.

'_I'll just send Sakura and Naruto on their way and then…'_

Kakashi's droopy eye all but sparkled as he turned his murderous gaze on an unsuspecting Genma. His gloved hands itched to exact a large amount of retribution on his little hentai friend.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx**

"What the hell happened to you? Was the mission that bad?"

Asuma choked on his smoke as his bandaged friend hobbled over to their usual table on his brand new set of crutches. Genma scowled as he tried to lower himself into the chair next to Raidou. It was hard going since he sported a broken leg and an even shattered arm. His usual headband/skullcap was replaced with white linen bandages as well.

"Shit, I wish."

His scarred faced friend laughed heartily beside him as Genma laid his wooden walking sticks against the table on the other side.

"Well, come on. Tell us what happened then."

Just then, Asuma looked toward the entrance to see his main squeeze enter the doors with the Copy Ninja right behind her. Genma and Raidou turned to see who Asuma had beckoned over. Genma glared at Kakashi, who acted like he didn't even notice him as he guided the ruby eyed woman over with a hand on the small of her back. Asuma ashed his cigarette as he jokingly addressed his silver haired friend.

"Watch it. I might think your trying to steal my woman."

Kurenai rolled her eyes as she took the empty seat next to her bearded companion. Genma was thankful that the Copy Ninja took the seat on the other side of Raidou. He couldn't help the dig that seemed to slip past his lips though.

"I wouldn't be too worried about that."

Kurenai and the rest raised an eyebrow at the bandaged man's words, but it was her voice that spoke up. She wanted to know if his words had been a dig at Kakashi or herself.

"And why's that?"

Asuma looked like he wanted to know as well. Kakashi kept his aloofness as he poured himself a drink from the community pitcher Asuma had bought earlier. He wasn't too worried about Genma spilling the beans on him. Not after he had spilled some of his blood earlier. A small smile formed under his mask as he thought about exactly what he had done to the man who had utterly deserved his full attention.

Genma scowled and turned to look down the table at the man who was the cause for his current condition. He wasn't looking forward to going another few rounds with an enraged Hatake Kakashi anytime soon. So he said simply…

"You're not his type."

Genma knew exactly what the great Hatake Kakashi's type was. Short pink hair, green eyes, a plump and juicy rear that was attached to an even sexier pair of toned legs…

…that happened to just walk by.

Genma smirked as he heard the sweet, sweet sound of his nemesis almost choking on his alcoholic drink. He could just imagine the sort of erotic scenarios running through his so called friends head right now. He could think of a few him self as his eyes lingered on the short hem of her slinky little black dress as she neared her destination.

Unfortunately for the Copy Ninja, Genma wasn't the only one who caught the cause of the elite shinobi's distress. Kurenai smirked as she turned away from the sight of Haruno Sakura sliding into the booth next to a similarly clad Ino across from Hinata and Naruto.

"I see. Maybe if I dyed my hair pink and started calling you Kakashi-sensei…. Would you find me attractive then?"

The table erupted into laughter at that. Kakashi promptly pulled out his trusty book and decided to ignore the others around him or at least he tried to.

Raidou, who knew his brown haired friend so well, rounded on him immediately.

"Let me guess, he did this to you because you kept torturing him right?"

Genma looked hurt as Kurenai gasped and looked from one man to the other. Kakashi kept quiet as he tried to concentrate on his ink covered pages. Asuma just laughed beside her.

"I was just… Come one, she's gotten to be one hot little piece of ass."

Raidou and the others continued to look totally unsympathetic.

"Hey, I'm not the only who's ever said they'd like to f…!"

A chopstick decided to say 'hello' to the side of his bandaged head right then.

The other occupants of the table turned to the reading shinobi as the wooden projectile victim rubbed his new raw spot tenderly. Kakashi never said a word or looked up from his book and the others took this as a great time to change the subject. Their silver haired friend rarely ever displayed such a lack of control.

Asuma felt like Genma's current condition should have been the first indication that this was not a subject that was open for discussion.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX **

As the night wore on Kakashi couldn't help sneaking peaks at the pink haired woman he had taken so many times in his disturbed little mind.

He recalled clearly the time Genma's words had created the first of his many erotic daydreams. They had been thrown together on another mission, but that time without the two younger ninjas to accompany them. It had only been himself and Genma doing a recon mission on a local lord's wife.

Really, why he had been assigned to an is-my-wife-cheating-on-me mission, he had no idea. Of course Kakashi was quite aware that people paid for shinobi assistance for the strangest of things. What he didn't understand was why the Hokage had saddled him with a partner for such an easy mission, especially Genma.

The night's investigation of them peeping through the rafters, above the lord's bedroom, while he was away on business had commenced. And Kakashi had been feeling fortunate that Genma was along. He had left all 'evidence gathering' ( a.k.a picture taking) to his orally fixated friend as he read under a flashlight beside him.

It wasn't until Genma referenced the woman's pink hair to that of Sakura's did he start to curse his companion's presence. At first, he had tried to ignore Genma's words for the written words of his trusty book. It helped somewhat, until the imagery invoked by his precious book's plot twisted into that of himself and his now of age pink haired green eyed friend.

The toothpick wielding shinobi continued to point out similarities between the woman's breasts and ass to that of Sakura's as the noises below became louder. There was no way to quiet the noise or his bastard of a friend without alerting their position. Needless to say, Kakashi had been extremely relieved when their so called mission had been over. He was ready to put the whole experience behind him.

What he had not been ready for was his reaction to his pink haired friend once he returned. That mission had been quite a few months ago and every time he was around Sakura now he found his mind slipping back into that sex filled fantasy land.

Kakashi turned his attention down the table to the cause of all his inner turmoil.

'_If only he had kept his damn mouth shut.'_

Kakashi took another faster-than-light-speed swig of his strong drink.

'_I wouldn't have this insane urge to…'_

His dark glazed eye turned to watch Sakura twist to the side to whisper something into her blonde friend's ear. The action made the side of her silky skirt ride a little further up her toned pale thigh.

'…_run my hand over that exposed bit of flesh and then finally find it's way into her…'_

Everyone's attention was quickly diverted as a gloved fist banged the table's scrubbed wooden surface hard. In a blink of an eye, Kakashi had laid down a few bills and gotten up to leave. He was already making his way out the door as jade eyes looked over to his vacant chair.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX **

"Wasn't that Kakashi-sensei just now?"

Ino nudged the startled woman beside her. Sakura continued to stare dumbfounded at the now empty chair as Naruto turned back from the source of the noise.

"Yeah, that was Kakashi-sensei alright. Wow, I wonder what's eating him. He's never done that before."

Sakura nodded her head numbly as she turned back to her own table. It was a fact that Kakashi never seemed to lose his composed calm disposition. Well, if you didn't count him trying to kill Genma last night. But then again, Sakura argued that Genma could drive anyone to murder. She quickly waved it off.

"It was probably that baka Genma again."

Naruto looked back at the man in question and he took in the man's bandages and casts for the first time. His eyebrows rose to his hairline. He knew for a fact that the man had been in perfect condition just that afternoon. Naruto's loud voice carried over the din as he yelled over to the other table.

"Hey! Genma! What the hell happened to you?"

Genma tried to look nonchalant as he replied. Raidou snickered beside him.

"Aw, nothing fell down some stairs."

Naruto burst into raucous laughter and he turned around. Sakura looked highly skeptical. She had seen the man drop from the highest point on a tree during their mission. He had landed light as a feather on his feet.

'_Something's not right here.' _

It wasn't just Genma's blatant lie that bothered her. That feeling she had before, that someone was watching her, had returned as soon as she had joined her friends in the booth. It was the same feeling she had felt the entire mission. She found it strange that the feeling seemed to vanish right after Kakashi's quick departure.

'_I wonder what that was about anyway.' _

Unfortunately, she knew it was more likely to be stuck by lightening while walking home then to be able to get a real answer from Kakashi or Genma apparently.

So, she let the matter slip from her mind as she tried to enjoy the rest of her evening. Sakura noticed that the invisible pair of eyes never returned that night.

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

**Author's Footnote:**

So…I've decided to continue this. Some else's drabble on the Kakasaku LJ inspired me to expand on the whole 'Kakashi trying to keep his feelings to himself' bit.

I so love a Kakashi filled with inner turmoil! Hope you do too… XD


	3. Fustration Handled

The summer night's air felt good to the Copy Ninja's hot flesh. He was a mix of anger and sexual frustration as he made his way back to his one bedroom apartment.

Even though he wholly blamed his condition on his perverted friend, he knew he was also partly to blame. It was his mind coming up with the erotic images being flashed before his eyes. It was his own voice whispering in his ear every time he laid his one eye on the girl.

She wasn't a girl any more though and that was the problem. She was now a 21 year old woman. A woman that made 'little Kakashi' come to life the moment her presence conjured up images that involved various positions of dirty rough sex.

Things had gotten so bad that even without her presence; his mind still lingered on her image. Every time he cracked open his faithful ink filled friend, he felt the bitter taste of betrayal.

Instead of 'Junko' taking a beaten female opponent from behind, it was himself forcing a submissive Sakura against that brick alley wall.

Instead of some busty female beating 'Junko' into submission and forcing herself on him, it was Sakura playing the seductive temptress on himself.

Kakashi didn't know how much more of this he could take. Normally, if a woman frustrated him so, he would give in to his carnal desires and take her with everything he had.

But this was Sakura and the younger woman was definitely off limits to him for more reasons than one.

He knew he should feel disgusted with even the mere thought of the younger kunoichi being naked, but he didn't and that was his soul problem.

He knew the girl since she was twelve years old. He knew the girl before she had even gotten her hands bloody with her first kill.

Still, instead of seeing that child like smile and those naïve eyes, he saw tempting lips and seductive glances. Not to mention the other parts of her that seemed to call his name.

It was like an evil temptress whispered in his ear whenever his eyes fell on her womanly assets.

Whenever his dark orb swept over her humble bosom all he heard was, "Don't you want to squeeze me? I'll fit oh so perfectly in your strong manly hands. Come on pinch me, lick me…"

Needless to say, that little voice said the same things about her heart shaped little ass as well.

When Kakashi finally made it home, he grumpily made his way inside and kicked off his sandals. He unzipped his green vest and tossed it into the corner as his aggravated body fell back onto his bed with a bounce.

In the darkness and silence, image upon vile image assaulted him then. But at least in the confines of his own home he was able to do something about them. He didn't have to tensely sit around a crowd of people or worry about the object of his thoughts clueing in to his plight.

He could simply give in to this new temptation in the only way he was willing.

If the woman was strictly off limits to his touch, he would relish in having her in his mind if only to stem the flow of desire for now.

So Kakashi did the one thing he had his mind set on the entire journey back to his lonely apartment.

He picked out his favorite steamy fantasy, laid back and simply took pleasure in the moment.

He may not have been able to touch her in the flesh, but he could do whatever the hell he wanted in his mind.

Kakashi stripped the gloves from his hands and threw them across the room, pulled down his mask and flung his headband to accompany his gloves.

Even before the scene started to play on the back of his eyelids, his hand was already tracing small circles on the firm flesh of his stomach beneath his dark blue shirt.


	4. Watery Interlude

**Note: **changed a part in the beginning, so now they haven't seen his face yet. Also, I've decided to keep this story going **here** and **there**…but here you get the _edited version_. (You still get the plot and everything just minus the gratuitous smut.)

* * *

**2 Days later**

"Why do we always get stuck with him?" Naruto asked with clipped tones.

Sakura merely shrugged, uninterested, "I don't know. Just ignore him, that's what I do."

Kakashi found himself nodding his head in agreement. With crossed arms he added his own comment, "Yes, indeed."

The man in question just rolled his eyes, senbon flipping up and down in his mouth. Genma wasn't too thrilled to be on this mission either. He had other plans arranged for this afternoon, with a few kunoichi to be more precise. They weren't the only one's not looking foreword to pulling guard duty for some simpering Lord, he was just glad there wasn't much thought involved in doing so. It kept him free to keep his mind preoccupied with _other_ things.

Genma's eyes strayed to the rear end of the woman a few feet in front of him. Sakura was just bending over to pick up her pack; they had just finished resting on their way to their client's place of residence. Kakashi had taken notice of his friend's lecherous gaze, but remained silent. He wasn't spewing any thought provoking nonsense and that was all that mattered to Kakashi. Besides, who was he to stop him? He had no claims on the girl. Not that he wanted any either, at least, not that he was aware of.

Sure, he had lecherous thoughts that ran along the same lines as his perverted friend, but that didn't necessarily mean he wanted anything more than…to throw her up against the wall and take his sexual frustration out on her. Kakashi was a smart man, he knew what lust was and he was pretty sure it had absolutely nothing to do with love. Although, _that _was oneemotion he had never felt before, still he was relatively sure in his thinking.

In two minutes flat they were off and traveling again.

* * *

**5 hours later**

"Why do we always get the boring missions?" Naruto whined for the hundredth time that day.

This time Sakura wasn't so blasé, she was getting tired of listening to her friend complaining into her earpiece. She too, thought that standing in the corner of the party room, not being able to gorge herself on the buffet was tedious and boring as hell. But you didn't hear her complaining. Actually, she didn't know what was worse, hearing Naruto complain or…

"Guys, guys, three o'clock by the plastic tree plant, mm. Oh, look at the body on that one…," a male voice leered into her ear, making her scowl.

Genma had taken it upon himself to point out the entire female populous in the room, having gotten tired of remaining silent and vigilant. Sakura was wondering why Kakashi hadn't tried to silence the man. She was ready to break out of her little corner to strangle the lecherous fool.

"Yum, look at the hindquarters on that little filly." Kakashi wasn't amused. He was only thankful that Genma had turned his attentions to feminine bodies other than the one he found himself flicking his dark gaze to, every now and then.

"Hey, hey! Look at the hot blonde by the window!"

'_Besides…'_ Kakashi thought, with a mental shrug. _'At least, he's gotten Naruto to stop complaining.'_

"Idiot, that's a man." Sakura couldn't help but giggle over that one.

Even Kakashi didn't like the fact that they weren't really doing the business of a bodyguard, per say. Their duties here were more like bouncers. There were no enemies out to get the lord. He had hired them to clear out the drunkards that always seem to appear towards the end of the night.

'_Really, people hire ninja for the strangest reasons.'_ Then again, Kakashi thought this over. '_It's easy money and recognition for Konoha...'_

* * *

**1 hour later**

Sakura had been suppressing the urge to run off to the 'little kunoichi's room' for the past forty-five minutes. If she held it anymore, she felt she might burst. Still, she hesitated to ask, because she knew how her leader was about teammates leaving their positions. It just didn't happen.

He had left her standing there doing the 'rain dance' before, when she was younger. And the last mission they had been on, Sakura remembered Kakashi leaving Naruto standing in the shadows, eyes swimming and trembling legs crossed. Unfortunately, they had been on guard duty then, as well.

Inner Sakura fumed._ 'At least, that time it was actual guard duty.'_

Outer Sakura was still standing in the corner sweating, hoping against hope that she'd be able to make it until the end…which was still 4 hours away.

"Sakura." It was Kakashi's voice. She just hoped he wouldn't make her walk a patrol of the room. She didn't think she'd be able to take twenty steps without leaving a puddle behind her. "Go."

Sakura didn't pause to give him thanks or ponder exactly how he knew or why he was letting her go. He was letting her go, that's all that to her. In a blink of an eye, she was gone from her post, already halfway down the hall toward the ladies room.

"Hm, she's gotten faster." Genma quipped from his position by the window.

"Where did Sakura-chan go?" Naruto had seen the distressed kunoichi pass by him in his position by the door.

Kakashi spoke one word, "Bathroom." That he knew would start the younger shinobi arguing.

And Naruto didn't disappoint. "What! That's not fair! You made me wait for three whole hour's last mission! I almost wet my pants!"

Genma couldn't help himself. "Wouldn't be the first time, I 'm sure."

Naruto yelled back, "Shut up you!"

Kakashi remained quite. He knew there was no point replying. Naruto undoubtedly wouldn't listen to a single word he said and truthfully he couldn't explain his actions. He had left her standing there before in such a state…so why had he cracked now? He couldn't explain it.

Apparently, Gemna decided to try. In a teasing tone the man replied, "Ah, It can't be helped Naruto. You don't have what it takes to soften Kakashi's resolve…or should I say harden?"

Naruto answered with a confused, "Huh?"

Kakashi's anger was quickly being ignited. Genma's words may be lost on the clueless blonde, but if Sakura hadn't turned her earpiece off (which he was sure she hadn't, because she wasn't suppose to) she'd catch on to Genma's underlying meaning. And he couldn't have that.

"Genma, one more word out of you..."

Kakashi didn't explain any further. He was sure the womanizer was bright enough to figure it out and by his new found silence, Kakashi was sure.

"Neh, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi sighed thinking, '_Sure, now Kami decides to grant him with a little bit of wisdom.'_

With false calm he answered, "What is it Naruto?"

"Can… I go when Sakura-chan gets back?"

'_Maybe not,'_ Kakashi sweated-dropped.

He thought, dejectedly, _'What have I done?'_

* * *

6 hours later

Their duty was over as was the mission. They had traveled so far for just that one simple event. They were scheduled to leave the next day, along side the sunrise. For now, they were told to stay, relax and enjoy their night.

It was just a few minutes past midnight now. The lord of the manor was no doubt, in his chambers sleeping off the drink. The servants were sleeping, resting up for another grueling day of tedious chores, and the four hired shinobi were supposed to be sleeping in their beds; 'supposed to' being the key words.

Kakashi had gone to the baths to have a soak. With the absence of the stoic Copy ninja, Genma had taken to entertaining one of the pretty young servant girls in their appointed room. This left an irate Naruto to find shelter and food in the kitchens. Sakura had just returned from the baths as Genma locked the door, leaving her to seek shelter outdoors on the roof, thankfully fully clothed.

Sakura had been as infuriated as Naruto, but unlike her best friend, she was well aware that their wait wouldn't be too long. At least, if anything Anko had said about the man's stamina was true. She had happened to be privy to one of the woman's loud descriptions of her many conquests, the last time she had visited the community baths. Sakura didn't know who was worse sometimes, Anko or Genma. Really, she wasn't surprised that the two had spent a night together.

But what Sakura had found surprising was Genma's earlier comment.

'_Ah, It can't be helped Naruto. You don't have what it takes to soften Kakashi's resolve…or should I say harden?' _

She didn't know exactly what he had meant by those words. Was he implying that Kakashi might have a soft spot for her like a father would a daughter? She didn't think that was so. For one, in all actuality Kakashi wasn't _that_ old. Two, he's never treated her as such.

Or was Genma trying to imply something more sexual as was his usual nature.

Sakura shook her head, that possibility was almost as farfetched as her initial thought. Although, like she had stated in her argument for the first, she had to admit that Kakashi wasn't that old. She was sure he had to be around the same age as Genma and that never stopped _him_ from trying to get into her pants. Then again, she knew Genma had no scruples, at least when it came to women.

'_But if it were true…'_ Sakura pushed that thought away. That was foreign territory she didn't even want to step foot in. For one, she wouldn't know how to handle it, especially since Kakashi just so happens to be her team leader, a man she had known since she was twelve, and a man that she is forced to go on mission after mission with. Things would just be too…weird if she let her self think on that subject. She'd rather keep her sweet ignorance.

'_Besides, he'd never…'_ Sakura shook her head. _'Naw, no way.'_

* * *

The water was so warm and relaxing, Kakashi felt his tension melting away with every minute he sat in the calm waters of the steamy bath. It had been so long since he had done so. Usually it was just a quick shower in the morning. The Copy ninja was apt to shy away from places where masks were tended to be frowned upon.

It was late; he wasn't worried about being caught unawares. He had seen Genma flirting with that servant girl from earlier, he had no doubt the other two would be locked out for awhile, so he was in no rush to get out. Genma was a grown man, they were off duty and as long as he was finished by the time he got out, Kakashi didn't really care. He was sure Naruto had found his way down to the kitchens by now and Sakura…

Kakashi tried not to think about his female teammate, but just like the last few weeks, he couldn't get her out of his head. And just like the last few days, thoughts of her tended to lead to…things that Kakashi usually didn't do. Like feel himself up in someone else's home, in someone else's bath, but…Kakashi wasn't acting like his normal self. Not when thoughts of a certain kunoichi kept plaguing his mind.

Kakashi hadn't even been aware that his hand had traveled down his hardened stomach to places beyond until it was too late. He was starting to feel he had an addiction, one that he had no idea how to kick.

So like a good little addict he simply closed the other eye as well and gave in to sweet, sweet bliss.

* * *

As he laid there on the tiled floor on his back, legs dangling in the water, hand wiping the sweat from his brow, Kakashi couldn't help but think how real it had felt. It was so real, it was almost like he could still hear her calling his name.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

The hand wiping his brow swiftly moved to press into his eye.

'_This is bad, even afterwards I'm hearing her..'_

"K-Kakashi-sensei, are you in there?"

That's when it hit him, here voice was real. She was speaking to him from inside the changing room, through the shoji door. He continued to lay exposed where he was, quite confident in the fact that the woman on the other side wouldn't come any further. Kakashi knew the real Sakura wasn't anything like the one in his fantasies.

Kakashi abruptly set about getting himself up from the floor. It hit him, Sakura had never gone so far as to tract him down while he was in the bath, he knew something must be terribly wrong to cause her to go through such drastic measures.

Quickly cleaning off and wrapping himself in a towel, in a flash he entered the changing room intent to find out who what exactly was going on.

Brows furrowed in determination, he asked, "What's the situation?"

He was met with stuttering and a brilliant full body blush as bright as the sun itself.

Sakura finally stammered out a reply after several first attempts. "G-genma, I-its G-genma," As she began to speak her ire came back upon thinking of the reason why she was there in the first place. This time however she was adamantly staring at the floor, with her arms crossed. "T-that…p-pervert managed to sneak in two more women while I wasn't looking." Her arms fell limply at her sides and she finally looked at him, actually managing to look him in the eye this time. Exhaustedly she said, "Kakashi-sensei, it's late, I'm tired and you're the only one he'll listen to."

Kakashi crossed his arms over his bare chest, feeling relatively sure the tie on his hip would hold. Here he had thought that there had been some kind of attack on the manor.

He shook his head and then found himself asking, "Why didn't Naruto come in your stead?"

He watched the girl scowl and look away, "You know how he is. He won't budge when he's eating…." Then, she cast pleading eyes upon him again. "Will you kick those bimbo's out of our room now? Please?" She was almost bouncing on her heels.

Kakashi found himself smiling at the girl's act of utter desperation. And then raised a questioning eyebrow, after she stopped her theatrics to smile along with him; Sakura's eyes seemed glued to his smiling mouth and that's when it hit him.

With a hand raised, finger pointed toward the door he said briskly, "Out!"

Kakashi couldn't believe in his rush to see what was going on he had inadvertently let her see his face.

Wide smile still in place, moving toward the door, she said, "So, are you going to kick them out?"

Kakashi moved to his stack of clothing, and replied with a huff, "After I get dressed."

Sakura slid the door open, but paused at the door. With their backs to each other she said thoughtfully, "You know, I don't see why you wear that thing."

Pulling on his shirt, he replied unconcernedly, knowing she meant his mask "Oh?"

A couple seconds before stepping out, before sliding the door shut, she replied softly, "It's not like you have anything to hide."

And then she was gone. (On her way to snatch Naruto from gorging himself to death.)

Kakashi sighed thinking, _'If you only knew…'_

* * *

I didn't go into detail about his face or…body from her pov…that's next chapter!

Again, if you wish to read the smutty version please visit my profile and click on my lemon works section. It will take you to adultfanfiction with a list of my works. Click on my story "His Fault" and there you go.

Ok, Thanks for reading!


	5. Substitution Solution?

Sakura walked _very_ slowly back to the kitchens to tell Naruto the good news. The reason for her unhurried gait being, she had just found out a few new things about their team leader that she had never known before. For one, he had a _very_ nice looking body under that baggy Jounin uniform. Yes, he was a _little_ pale and a portion of his face _was_ tanner than the rest of his body, but Sakura felt those aspects were infinitely outshined by the lean, defined muscles underneath smooth looking skin.

Sure, Sakura had seen portions of his nakedness, what with having to heal all the wounds the man managed to acquire over the years, but she had never seen so much of him all at one time. Having him jump out at her in almost all his manly glory had shocked and surprised her. She now knew what it felt like to have a massive coronary.

'_You don't just spring something like that on a girl all at once!' _Inner Sakura raised a shaking fist. _'Small doses Kakashi! Small doses! How could you hide that from me for all those years? Selfish bastard!'_

But it hadn't just been his body that had set her world off kilter. Kakashi's face was just as handsome as the rest of him. There were no disfiguring marks other than the scar that ran the length of his left eye. There were no thick lips, buckteeth or a small mouth. She now understood the reason the Ichiraku lady, Ayame-chan, kept giving the man extra portions when her father wasn't looking. (Of course, Kakashi would wait until the kids were conveniently occupied in whatever distraction he pulled out of his vast repertoire to actually eat.)

She couldn't blame Ayame-chan, Sakura had felt like swooning the moment she had set her eyes on his flawless face and oh so hard body, but thankfully she hadn't. Her surprise and embarrassment at seeing her sexy former teacher in nothing but that fluffy white towel, had taken care of that.

'_I should have interrupted him in the baths years ago…'_ Inner Sakura snickered.

Then, Sakura's smirk faltered. She knew that had she come a few seconds beforehand, she would have definitely interrupted him…doing something she desperately tried not to think about. She had heard that tell-tale groan of pleasure, even before she had made it to the changing room's doors. Her intense need to sleep had been the _only_ thing that had kept her from turning around and running back down the hall in a combusting ball of flame.

'_Genma, I could have believed no question, maybe even Naruto but…Kakashi-sensei? Cha! No way!' _Sakura scrunched her features in a look of disgust. _'Ew! Men are so disgusting!' _

She had never, in all her pathetic delves to fulfill her sexual curiosity, ever heard a man sound like that before, at his ultimate peak of pleasure. Sakura had only had two brushes with the opposite sex in her life and neither male had ever sounded remotely close to the way Kakashi had. Sakura found herself questioning her own skill in the erotic ways.

'_Surely, if Kakashi-sensei can make himself sound like that, then obviously I still have a long way to go.' _Sakura sighed dejectedly.

Then Sakura's look of disdain changed to one of triumph. _'Just wait till I tell Naruto what I've seen! Oh, he's gonna be so jealous! Mwahahahaha!'_

**

* * *

**

**1 Week Later**

"You know, you must have the will power of a god." Genma quipped over the rim of his sake cup.

Unfortunately, the members of the usual crowd, namely Asuma, Kurenai, and Raidou were out of the village for the night. That left Kakashi all alone, forced to share a drink with his troublesome remaining friend. Thankfully, his two younger teammates had forgone the senbon user's earlier invite.

Kakashi answered with his usual "Mm." It was a non-committal sound used to fool the conversationalist into thinking he was actually paying attention. It was a diversionary measure that he had learned long before the days of Team 7. Kakashi had to admit, he liked the result. They usually gave up and left him alone, but Genma was proving to be harder to shake.

It was difficult to ignore someone who kept punctuating the start of every sentence with, what seemed to be an unconscious slap to Kakashi's shoulder. Really, he had exhausted all means of scaring the ex-Chuunin Examiner away from such personal contact, but as Kakashi had come to learn, like Naruto, bodily harm did nothing to dissuade the man.

Kakashi's arm received another slap to his bicep, shaking the filled drink in his hand dangerously. In confused tones Genma continued. "I just don't understand you. I mean, if some chick was making me pop wood every time I laid eyes on her; hell, I'd of done something by now. I'd have-"

Kakashi quickly interrupted what he knew to be a lengthy, graphic explanation of just what exactly Genma would do to the figurative woman. Hanging his silver head said with forced, drunken calm, "I'm not you."

Another slap to the arm, followed by a hearty laugh, "Yeah, and that's why you're here with me instead of her. You know, for being such a dangerous man, you suck when it comes to women…." More boisterous laughter, followed by a breach of Kakashi's personal space, "But I guess you can't all be like me, huh?"

In a low, irritated growl Kakashi replied, "One's enough."

Genma's laughter abruptly cut off. A pout now adorned his handsome features. "So cold."

The pout was soon overshadowed by a feral grin, directed off to their side. With a conspiring whisper, he leaned close to Kakashi's ear. "You know what you need my friend?"

Kakashi knew where this was going and merely sighed in response.

Genma continued oblivious, mouth now smiling to his unknowing new target. "I say, of course you're going to continue to want to get into Sakura's pants, _if_ you keep moping here. My good buddy, I say a little _distraction_ is in order."

Kakashi knew better than to believe his selfish friend was actually doing anything out of the kindness of his heart. And he was proved right by Genma's next words. Nodding his head slightly in the direction of the two kunoichi he was shamelessly making eyes at, Genma said predatorily, "Besides, this one's got company. Don't ever say I didn't do anything for you."

* * *

Kakashi had known the experience was going to turn out to be a bad idea from the very beginning, But, somewhere in his sake fogged mind, he had reasoned that Genma had made a very valid point earlier.

And a small part of Kakashi still believed that he had.

Unfortunately, Genma had taken the 'lesser of two evils' for himself and left Kakashi with…well, with the other. It seemed that no amount of alcohol –he ingested a lot- could get past neither the girl's high pitched squeals nor her maddening fawning.

Kakashi absolutely despised being flattered because he was the famous Copy Ninja. He would have left hours ago, but the drunk woman was effectively blocking his way out of the booth and simply refused to remove herself, latching on to his arm like a vise. If he wasn't such a gentleman he would have pushed her off the end of their booth and made mad dash for the door.

It was times like these that he wished he _was_ like Genma.

Kakashi sighed, knowing that thought just was _not_ right.

The only redeeming qualities the woman had was that she was actually attractive, if you got past her octopus hands and her incessant giggles. Kakashi didn't even know her name. She had told him, of course, but after a few more cups of sake, he had promptly forgotten. In a way, he felt it was a good thing.

The young woman prattled on about the many uses of acupuncture needles to a disinterested Kakashi, who simply replied with his usual "Mm" every now and then. He was too busy formulating his escape plan to listen to her drivel. Mind whirling, he turned to see Genma's own hands starting to roam on his new blonde female friend. Kakashi figured that was his queue to exit.

Breaking through a steady flow of instructions on how to get rid of arthritis in the wrist, by sticking a senbon into a certain muscle, Kakashi spoke. "Excuse me, but I have to say _'hello'_ to a certain porcelain god." He turned to the dark haired woman pointedly, who bit her lip. He could almost see the cogs turning in her head, inwardly debating if she should let him go or not. He quickly lifted his empty bottles for emphasis.

Luckily, the panicked woman decided to relinquish her hold, in the end.

Kakashi sighed relieved, making his way to the back of the bar, somewhat wobbly. After all the alchohol he had downed, his excuse hadn't been a total lie. He really did have to go. He hadn't been too much of an irresponsible drinker though. He knew his limit. He had only gone past it by three drinks, not too shabby in his cloudy mind.

Kakashi stumbled through the men's bathroom door with the intent to finish up quickly and make a swift, unseen exit. He didn't feel too bad about ditching the annoying woman waiting for him. Besides, he was pretty sure Genma wouldn't let what-ever-her-name-was go home by her self. Kakashi was relatively sure that the self proclaimed gigolo would promptly add her to his harem for the night.

Kakashi sighed in fustration. He found himself wishing he could be more like his unscrupulous friend again, but quickly threw that thought right out the window. Kakashi definitely knew he had too much to drink when he started thinking along those lines.

Trying to clear his alcohol blurred vision and thoughts; he went about doing his business.

* * *

The sound of the door followed the sound of his zipper. Having just finished up, Kakashi turned around, intent to leave.

He found an obstruction facing him, in the shape of the giggling woman he had tried to escape earlier.

Thoughts of _'What the hell?'_ ran through his mind, eye wide with surprise. _'Had she decided to intrude on her own or had-'_

The girl fortunately lost her drunken giggles to move closer and purr in his ear. "Genma-san said I should come and see what's taking you so long." Kakashi uncosciosly backed himself up against the closed door. The purring vixen continued to advance. "He said you might need a little _help_."

Kakashi scowled behind his mask with serious thought of causing bodily harm to his so called friend. _'That bastard…'_

A hand on his thankfully covered crotch brought him out of his murderous thoughts. His unwanted response was just a testament to how long it had actually been since he had last felt someone else's touch beside his own. The blatant twitch under her palm and the slight hardening she felt only seemed to fuel the lust filled woman further.

She devilishly smiled up into his dark orb, lips inching towards his cloth covered own. That's when he noticed something…her jade colored eyes. In his inebriated haze, he pictured those eyes belonging to another kunoichi, letting her press her warm, sake damp lips against his mask.

Then, reality set back in the moment he felt her hand squeeze around his rapidly hardening member. _'Sakura would never-'_

Kakashi roughly grasped the (now) startled woman by her shoulders and pulled back. He wildly looked down at the confused woman before him. The woman, who was so willingly offering herself to him, he knew, may share the same jade colored eyes and looked to be roughly close in age as his young teammate, but she wasn't Sakura.

Kakashi found himself waging an inner war then, brows furrowed in consternation. _'Genma's right for once. I do need a distraction.'_

With renewed motivation, he grabbed the wavering woman's hand and tugged her over to the nearest stall. Besides, it didn't look like his sultry companion disagreed.

* * *

A Few Hours Later

Was it necessarily a bad thing if a person had rough, vigorous sex while imagining their partner as someone else entirely, especially if said imaginary person had: pink hair, green eyes and creamy skin?

As Kakashi laid on his bed, insomnia kicking into high gear, he felt that answer to be a well respected…yes. He knew something was wrong with him. He was well aware that he was a bad, bad man. Hatake Kakashi had stooped to an all time low. He had done _'Genma things'_ and now felt appropriately _'Genma Dirty'_.

This _'thing'_ of his was slowly turning into something even worse…an obsession.

He knew this to be true by not only the fact that he had imagined the woman he had pressed face first against the bathroom stall door to be Sakura, but he had actually…called her by his young teammates name as he had climaxed as well.

Thankfully, highly sated and glossy eyed, the screechy voiced woman hadn't seemed to care. Truthfully, Kakashi didn't think she had heard him, what with her own high-pitched wail of an orgasm echoing off the tiled walls. But he had and that had unsettled him immensely.

Kakashi had been disgusted with himself and left immediately afterward, not sparing even the slightest goodbye to his 'substitute lover'.

Even as he laid there, guts churned in a knot over his latest twisted conquest, he couldn't deny the fact that it had been a much needed release. And even though he desperately tried not to acknowledge the fact, a much needed release heightened to an all together new degree with the image of his favorite kunoichi being the willing recipient of his carnal desires.

For once, Kakashi's brilliant brain had let him down. The little romp in the men's bathroom had not helped as he had so hoped. It had only made things worse.

Kakashi sighed as sleep slowly crept over him. _'What else is there left for me to do?'_


	6. Selfrestraint

_Note: I started this story as my humorous smutty outlet. So…yeah. Not to be taken too seriously. XD _

* * *

_**Self-control**_

_**2 Weeks Later**_

More and more, Hatake Kakashi found himself sitting in the local bar drowning his sorrows on the nights Team Kakashi remained mission-less. It was the only way he found to curb his insatiable hunger for pink haired kunoichi. Then again, his friends kept warning him that if he kept up the new habit, it would just become another addiction. He knew drinking was part of the five deadly shinobi sins, but then…what the hell did they know?

They were sitting right next to him guzzling down their own drinks…hypocrites.

Besides, they didn't understand. Kurenai never had sex-crazed fantasies about any of her former students before. (That he was aware of anyway.) Yes, he knew that Asuma had noticed that Ino was now of age and quite the looker, but…besides her new found relationships with a new guy every week, her vain attitude and screechy voice was enough cold water to throw on any –sane- man's libido. Raidou was too wrapped up in that new purple haired ANBU woman of his that kept calling Kakashi _'senpai' _to notice anyone else around him. Anko didn't suffer his problems because, like Genma, the woman had no morals. And Gai…Well, the taijutsu master was too wrapped up in his favorite student to notice anyone one else, much less any –insane- female with a mild interest.

Kakashi shivered seeing the similarities between his situation and his so called rival's.

The only individual who could possibly sympathize with his plight was…Naruto. But there was no way in hell Kakashi would discuss such...disturbing things with the Hokage-wanna-be. For one, it would be highly awkward and for another…Naruto could now and _would _turn him into refried jounin. (It was a fact that secretly pissed him off.)

Kakashi didn't care what Gai kept spewing. _Damn youth! _

To make matters worse, during the week long mission they had just returned from that day –delivering a scroll to Suna- he had been pondering upon something Genma had said. It was something that didn't bode well with Kakashi. It didn't bode well at all.

**

* * *

**

_Four shinobi sat around a small camp fire, trying to feel full after a relatively small dinner. Two Konoha ninja sat relatively comfortable next to each other leaning against the same large tree trunk. The other two teammates sat across from each other over the small dwindling fire, having a 'discussion' that the other two wished they didn't._

"_You take that back!"_

"_No. Why should I?"_

"_Because it's not true!"_

"_Yes, it is."_

"_No it's not!"_

"_Yes, Naruto… it is."_

_An irritated female whispered to the man, who she just so happened to decide to sit next to, "Why don't you ever try to stop them?"_

_She received an uncaring, "They're grown men," from a man who was having problems with her close proximity. He continued in the same tone after a turn of a page. "I'm not a babysitter."_

_Sakura huffed as the heated argument continued in front of them, enjoying the company next to her, even if his leadership methods irked her. "No, but you're our leader."_

_Kakashi gave her a slight shoulder shrug, keeping his eyes on his pages and an emotionless, "Abuse of power and all that."_

_There was an irritated, grumbled, "more like lazy," that was marred by the small smile gracing her lips as the heated exchanges became more animated across from them._

"_No it's not!"_

"_Yes it is."_

"_You don't know what you're talking about!"_

"_I think I do."_

"_How can you say that everyone thinks something when it's just you're opinion!"_

"_Granted it's my opinion, but it's still an opinion shared by…many."_

"_It's still not everyone, Hinata doesn't think so!"_

"_I'm sure at times she thinks so as well. She's only human."_

"_She doesn't think so!"_

"_Yes…she does."_

"_No! She doesn't!"_

"_I think she does."_

"_I think she doesn't!"_

_Apparently, Sakura was human as well. And being human, she could only take so much of her two teammate's arguing without wanting to snap them in two. Having spoken confirmation from before that Kakashi wasn't going to do anything to stop them, Sakura stood from her position. "Gah! That's it!" She stomped over to her pack and started taking out her bath-thing, needing to put some space between them and her self lest she really did snap them in two. She rounded on her two stunned teammates._

_One arm cradling her things and the other, towel in hand, jabbing in the startled blonde's directions "Naruto, you are annoying and yes at times Hinata no doubt thinks so too!" Feeling guilty at his downcast eyes and pout she continued, "but you shouldn't feel too bad because-" She jabbed the towel in Genma's direction, incensed once again. "-everyone thinks he is too!" _

_Genma just gave her a 'yeah, already knew that thanks' look as she jerkily turned away._

_But she wasn't finished yet. This time she turned to the man innocently still reading his book. "And you!" A dark droopy eye slowly came to rest on the image of the red faced kunoichi glaring angrily at him. "You just continue to sit there and read!"_

_She received a salute of sorts in a curt nod. _

_Chest heaving, red in the face, Sakura stomped to the small trail leading to the small river near by, but stopped when she came to the first tree. She turned back and tried to calm her frazzled nerves and continued in a somewhat calmer voice. "I'm going to go wash up now and get a little peace and quiet. You two better shapeup while I'm gone or so help me…" _

_A vein popped in her forehead, the hand with the towel dangling from it tightened into a fist, leaving the unspoken threat of bodily harm. Kakashi had to give her credit. She hadn't tried to pound either of the men into the ground like usual. He guessed Shizune's constant reminder of the great art of self restraint was finally paying off. (He just thought it was too bad Shizune's reminders were lost on the Hokage.)_

_Crickets chirped, silence reigning as the kunoichi turned and started down the little winding trail. Before disappearing into the tree line, she turned back around and said with the utmost seriousness, "And if anyone one of you-" Emerald eyes roamed over the two men trying to look innocent. She didn't look over to Kakashi, feeling safe that at least he wouldn't pull such a vile stunt. "-get it in your thick heads that spying on me is a good idea-" This time she didn't leave things unspoken. She wanted them to know she meant business. "-Kakashi-sensei will have to label you K.I.A in the mission report. Got it?"_

_Naruto gulped, face a nice shade of pale. Genma just sucked his teeth, senbon bobbing. _

_As soon as the angry kunoichi was out of earshot, the two previously quarreling shinobi turned to each other. _

_Genma jutted his chin at the now smiling younger ninja. "Nice job. Come on. If we go downwind she won't notice us. I shouldn't have to tell you to keep your chakra suppressed."_

_Naruto nodded smirking, "Nope. I'm right behind you."_

_A dark eye zero'd in on the two brothers in mischief, book lowering. "Hold it right there."_

"_Oh, yeah. Sorry." The brown haired man waved the Copy-nin over. "Come on, let's go."_

_Kakashi stood from his previous sitting position calming wiping grass from his rear. "No one is going to go anywhere. Sit down. Both of you."_

_Genma wasn't thwarted just yet. Trying to appeal to his friend, he began to argue, Naruto watching the show beside him. "Where's that pervert-in-arms I used to know huh? Where's the guy who happened to be 'reading in a tree' while I happened to be 'sleeping in a bush' while Yuuhi Kurenai just happened to be bathing just a few feet away? Huh? Remember, on that Grass mission last year?"_

_A calm, "I don't know what you're talking about," was his answer as he sat back down in his reading position._

_Naruto, who knew nothing of the other side of the elite jounin said in wondrous tones. "Kakashi-sensei, you're a peeping tom too? Wow. Who knew?"_

_Genma crossed his arms smugly. "My ass, you don't. I'm sure you couldn't forget the shit hitting the fan when we got back and old Asuma trying to kill us!" A grumbled, "He wouldn't talk to us for weeks after that…" followed under his breath. _

_Naruto looked between the two men, seemingly lost. Naïvely he asked, "I thought Kurenai-sensei was you guys' friend." _

_Genma shook his head pitieously at the –not so- innocent blonde, thinking the kid still had a ways to go in becoming a reputable skilled pervert. "Sakura's your friend too right, even though you have the Hyuuga. But, I don't see you getting all uppity about spying on her."_

_Naruto turned sheepish and looked to the side._

_Genma answered with an eyeroll. "Exactly."_

_The senbon user turned his attention back to their leader. "Yeah, So I'm asking. What's the problem?" _

"_There's no problem." _

_Genma smirked, "There's the man I know," and turned to continue their little covert op. _

_They began to move off, and got a few feet away until they were halted yet again, this time by a slightly resigned voice, but firm all the same. "Get back here."_

_Genma shook his head doing as his so called friend stated because he was their leader after all and the man had already shown earlier that he himself was no match for Kakashi. Then laughter filled the air. As if just catching on to something highly amusing, Genma looked to the man slouching in his trademark stance and said, "I can't believe it. Who would have thought?" When he reached Kakashi's side, he chuffed Kakashi's shoulder saying, "Come on man, you could have just told me."_

_Naruto dejectedly trudging behind the senbon user, looked from either man asking confusedly, "Believe what? Thought what? Told what?" _

_Kakashi, aggravated, turned away and said, "Nothing. You should bed down for the night. We still have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow." _

**

* * *

**

Kakashi took a swig of his strong drink, the usual six sitting and talking around him, at the usual table in the corner circular booth in the back.

He had, had half a mind that night to let Genma and Naruto go ahead and have their little fun after the senbon user's cryptic comment. Just so he could prove to his friend -and himself- that there was nothing to that little statement.

But he hadn't…

…because for some reason -he had no idea why- he couldn't.

A feminine concerned voice from his right side imparted a few words of wisdom as he stared around the bar seemingly bored. "She's a grown woman Kakashi."

Kakashi looked out of the corner of his dark eye at the genjutsu master beside him. "Pardon?"

Leaning into Asuma's side, she replied, "Genma told us before you got here."

Kakashi sent the man across and to his right an open glare.

The slightly tipsy ruby eyed kunoichi continued to turn into the dally lama on the man who just whipped out his trusty '_I don't see or hear you'_ book. "This isn't like you Hatake. If you want her, go get her. You're not her teacher anymore and she's not your little soldier either. She's a jounin, your equal."

Eye still trained on his book, he took a sip of his drink and replied evenly, "I'm her leader."

Anko, sitting across from them, who had been previously laughing at a joke Raidou had said, turned to them and butted in. "No, Hatake. You're a man and she's a woman." She drunkenly snickered behind her drink. "Tight-ass, you gotta learn to let the work shit go. Do us all a favor. Go find her and get laid." High-pitched slightly crazed laughter filled the air then. A petite hand smacked the damp table's surface. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! You need it!"

Kakashi, too used to such things coming out of the snake using woman's mouth, merely rolled his eye.

Then it seemed Anko's outburst caught the rest of the table's attention. Kakashi sighed inwardly. He knew his friends quite well. He was in for a rough night of hazing.

Kakashi put his book away, intent to leave and possibly find a nice spot above the Hokage Mountain. His beloved village was a sight to behold with the wash of the moonlight from above. Maybe he would even possibly visit the monument and have a word with Obito, ask him what he should do. Because no matter what his friends said, he had no idea.

But a flash of pink coming through the bar's entrance doors stilled his movements.

Kakashi felt he should have known. The familiar blonde kunoichi he had watched enter a few minutes ago wasn't known to frequent a bar by herself. Not even when scouting for a new man.

He felt he should leave. He really did.

But for some reason, his body just wouldn't move.

But there was a part of his body that seemed to have a mind of its own… his eye. It stayed train on the woman that his mind refused to believe he felt anything for…at least, anything other than lust.

* * *

**2 minutes later at another table…**

Eyes scanning the bar, obviously looking for a new victim, Ino said rather bored, "So, what's this all about Sakura? Why'd you want to meet here?" After waving to her former sensei and his group of friends she said smugly, "Thought you had some more medical journals to read or something."

Trying to nonchalantly wave to the same group of people, effectively ignoring her friend's jib, Sakura jumped right in. "Ino, say there was this guy-."

That got Ino's attention alright. Sakura found blue painted eyes locked on hers. "What's he look like?"

Slightly irritated, Sakura rolled her eyes. "Can I finish please?"

Ino pursed her lips, not liking her friends tone, but relenting regardless. "Alright…"

Trying to be vague, so that her so called friend wouldn't catch on to exactly who she was having the problem with, Sakura began her explanation. "Ok, so say there was this guy you knew." Sakura desperately tried to keep her eyes from lingering to the object of their conversation. "Well, let's say you knew him for years, and you always subconsciously thought he wasn't necessarily repulsive, because as a shinobi, he's forced to keep his body in tiptop condition and as being a medic-nin you were privy to seeing parts of said body…. But then one day you receive…extreme confirmation that your assumption was correct. He really is quite handsome-"

Skeptical Ino interrupted. "Wait, wait, wait. I've known him for years, but I only just figure out he's hot?" "What? Has he been wearing a bag over his head or something? I mean, come on! There is no way I wouldn't-"

A pink eyebrow twitched. "Again, can I finish?"

Ino slumped in her seat sipping at her drink. "Yeah, yeah, go ahead."

Sakura took a sip of her drink, the side of hair hanging over face, subconsciously shielding her next words from the man across the room. "Ok, so, you find out this guys good looking…really good looking. I mean sure he's got some scars, but what ninja doesn't right? And ok, so maybe he need's to get out in the sun a little more, but you know the jounin uniform leaves a lot to the imagination. Which is a good thing because if I'd have known before-"

Straw encased between glimmering teeth, Ino interrupted blandly. "Forehead, you're rambling."

Sakura came out of her longwinded daze and blinked at her friend a few times. "What? Oh, sorry. Where was I?"

White and red straw bouncing with her speech, Ino recounted, "A hot jounin that has some scars and needs a tan you need advice on."

With a nod and a sigh Sakura continued. "Right. See, although he's…hot, there are all kinds of problems-"

With a smirk and crossed arms, Ino interrupted yet again. "Well, I figured that much or else you wouldn't have asked me to meet you here."

Sakura was aggravated to no end. "Damn it Pig! Can I finish please?"

Ino deflated, rolling her eyes. "Spit it out then forehead. Geez…"

The kunoichi determinedly pressed on. "Look, the problem is he's older and-." Sakura went slightly pink thinking back to the noise she had heard coming from inside a certain bathhouse. "-obviously more experienced." She sighed dejectedly "But that's not all." Taking a good swig from the drink Ino had ordered for her prior to her arrival, she continued in an adamant voice. "I shouldn't even be attracted to him! I mean, I know it's not forbidden or anything anymore since our positions have changed and well I'm older now, but it's just… I don't know." Then her self esteem plummeted, making her scowl. "I don't know why I'm even bothering to worry about this. I mean, I don't even know what I'm feeling." A grumbled, "Not like he'd ever see me like that anyway…" ended her soapbox tirade.

Ino took a sip of her drink, too used to her friend's lack of womanly confidence and sighed. "Ok. First, forget all that other stuff. Just answer me this. Do you like him?"

A feminine hand smacked the table. "See, that's just it! I don't know. Does finding myself constantly thinking about a certain image of him these past few weeks mean that I actually like him? I just don't' know."

Not to be deterred Ino asked, "Well, would you go out on a date with this guy if he asked?"

Sakura laughed out loud at that question. She felt that was almost as likely as Lee plucking his eyebrows. After an uncontrollable bout of unladylike snorts she replied, "That would be highly- but… I might. It would be odd mind you, but I guess I would If only to try and find out more about him."

A blonde eyebrow rose intrigued. "So, you're saying you're interested in learning more about him?"

Sakura nodded her head slowly in the affirmative. "Yeah, suppose. I mean we _are _friends…sort of."

With an almost devious smile Ino inquired. "Would you kiss him?"

Sakura looked scandalized. "What! He would never-"

A manicured hand waved her off. "Hypothetically speaking of course, if he tried to, would you let him? Or would you be the prude that you are and bash his face in like you did to Kiba that one time?"

Sakura rebuked her friend with a heated, "That Inuzuka jerk had it coming damn it! That date was a disaster that lasted too long for my liking, he was a smelly dog with tentacles for hands! And if I recall correctly that so called date was your idea."

Pursing her lips in thought, Ino replied lightly, "Oh right." Then she quickly pressed on. "Anyway, just answer the question."

Sakura stirred her drink with a finger, thinking the question through –effectively stalling for time. Would she? Sakura tried to put it in another context that was more plausible to her mind. If some lucky, devious, root actually managed to trip the surefooted Copy-nin and he just so happened to not right himself and fell…onto her lips would she… a) let it go, and vehemently pretend it didn't happen, else go insane. b) Kiss him back and make sure it was so good that he never forgot about it since it was probably the only one she'd ever get out of him or c) rip his lips off and feed them to one of his summons…preferably not Pakkun who she'd have to lie to if he asked what they were?

If the situation did happen, which she would bet her next commission that it wouldn't, she would have to go with the first one, but she _would_ make some amendments. She'd let it go and vehemently pretend to him and anyone else unfortunate enough to notice that it didn't happen. Although, she wouldn't forget about it; she'd bring said memory up when she was alone…thus making things worse.

Sakura sighed and told the truth, albeit highly mournful. "Yes, I'd kiss him."

"Ok, then." Ino slammed a hand to the table, smiling proudly. "We've established that you like him!"

Sakura parroted her friend in a sort of awe, realization leaking into her supposedly intelligent brain. "…I like him."

A small smile formed on her face. As the feeling and information completely sunk in that small smile slowly blossomed into a wide pleased beam. This time there was nothing but clear optimism in her voice. "I like him."

Then, it sunk in exactly who it was she liked, eyes traveling over to the _'forbidden zone'_ A.K.A _Kakashi land_, she deflated, saying mournfully, "I like him."

Ino, missing her friend's quiet whisper and her lingering gaze, still eyeing a handsome specimen coming through the door, asked, "So are you finally going to tell me who this guy is?"

Wide forehead sinking to the table, Sakura answered sullenly, "No."

* * *

…**.back at the other table**

Sadly, the man, two people down from Kakashi, shook his bowl-cut head. "It is a sad day indeed when my eternal rival lacks the courage to fan the flames of passion…"

The others, along with Kakashi, rolled their eyes, knowing a longwinded speech about youth and spirit would follow. And Matio Gai didn't disappoint. In somber tones Gai began. "It is unfortunately true my friend that you, like the rest of us, may not be in the springtime of your youth anymore." A shaking fist rose, along with his voice. "But take heart Kakashi! Embrace your feelings! Open that small, shriveled, hardly beating heart inside that feeble little chest of yours and embrace what you know to be true!" Kakashi raised a brow as Anko smacked a hand to her face, groaning as the man's brown eyes began to water. "Go to her! Go to her and take her in your arms Kakashi!" The watering eyes suddenly became a steady flowing river of tears, much like the free flowing youthfullness the man always boasted about. With a lip trembling, voice clogged and hoarse with emotion, Gai choked out, "…Never let her go Kakashi."

Raidou awkwardly patted the sobbing man's shoulder consolingly. Wiping his eyes with the back of a green clad arm he chocked out again. "Never let her go…"

And Kakashi had thought Anko's 'You need to get laid' statement had been bad….

Either way, he had enough. It seemed even his body was willing to finally comply this time. (Probably just to get as far away from the sobbing man down the table as he could.)

Laying some money down for his tab, Kakashi got up to leave.

Ashing his cigarette, casually prodding Kurenai to slide down –trying to move away from the emotional man at his side- Asuma asked, "So, you finally gonna be a man and do what you should've done from the beginning?"

He gave them all a side glance, knowing they were all waiting for his answer, even the puffy eyed taijutsu master had looked up. He gave them an answer alright, the only thing he was sure of. "I'm a ninja first, a man second."

Kakashi calmly walked away toward the exit with the –not so whispered words, "I'm telling you, Mr. Tight-ass just needs to pull the stick out and take pinky over there and just-"

Loud feminine growling filtered to his ears as he slipped out into the night.

It was a good thing he didn't look back. If he had, he would have seen the animated body movements depicting exactly what Mitarashi Anko thought Kakashi should do to Sakura. Poor, poor Genma…. It was never a good thing to be used as a prop.

* * *

**Out in the street….**

Kakashi, hands in his pockets, slightly swaying, made his way slowly down the seemingly empty main street. In his blood warmed state, he knew teleportation seals were out of the question and besides, he had lots of things to think about on his way to the Hokage Mountain.

Suddenly his thought filled solitude was shattered.

A hesitant female voice called from behind him. "Uh, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi didn't stop, but he did look over his shoulder. His already sluggish pace turned to a crawl, as he faced forward again. It was his way of letting Sakura know that her company was desired without actually saying so. He had wanted to be alone, but he found himself unable to deny her company.

Sakura, noticing his hurried exit from the bar and feeling uncharacteristically concerned, quickly caught up with her team leader and matched his lethargic pace at his left side.

After a few seconds of silence she asked, truly wanting to know, "Are you alright Kakashi-sensei?"

She received a slight lift of his head and a "Mm."

Turning to give her quiet team leader a once over, noticing his glazed eye and slight sway asked with pursed lips and a raised eyebrow, "You look like you've had a lot to drink Kakashi-sensei. You sure you're alright?"

The tall man walking beside her, hands in his pockets, looked over and down upon her. After a few seconds he gave her a tired, "I'm fine Sakura. This old body can still handle a little sake."

Sakura, acknowledging the fact that he was probably capable of holding his liquid after so many years simply nodded, sighing.

A few more steps were taken before she asked, noticing that this was not the direction to his apartment, "So, you're not going home then?"

Kakashi smiled behind his mask, rolling his eyes at her oh so brilliant deduction skills. "No. Not at the moment."

Sakura kicked a rock, stuffing her hands in her pockets, mimicking the man beside her. "So…where ya headed?"

Kakashi looked at the young woman beside him out of the corner of his eye and smirked, "Where are _you _headed?"

Sakura's step faltered, but she hastily disguised it as a trip on a rock. Faking nonchalance she said, "Pesky rock strewn road… Sorry did you say something?" stalling for time.

Kakashi inwardly shook his head, too smart to be fooled by her amateurish acting skills. Her behavior was seemingly odd since he knew for a fact that she could put most stage people to shame when it was prudent for a mission.

Sakura hurriedly searched for an answer, before he repeated his question.

She had promptly excused herself from the table with an excuse of…nothing really. She had thrown down some money and quickly scrambled out from her seat with a quick goodbye to her startled and surprised friend.

Sakura had exited with an angered shout of, "_Where the hell are you going!_" ringing in her ears and strangely enough, a familiar female voice screeching, _"Why is it always the woman who has to make the first move?"_ which was answered by another familiar female voice answering, _"Because men are stupid."_

She was concerned, but she hadn't actually known what to say to him, if anything at all. She just felt the tremendous need to simply be in his presence. So, she had no idea where she was headed, just wanting to go wherever Kakashi did. ….but she couldn't tell him that now could she?

He repeated his question. "Where are you headed?"

And her savior appeared in the image of an intersection, the turn off that lead to her residential area.

"Oh, I wanted to turn in for the night. Tired and all that…" She punctuated her sentence with a yawn.

As they reached the middle of the intersection, Sakura turned away and winced. Her little white lie meant her nice little midnight stroll with Kakashi had come to an end. Trying and failing to keep the disappointment in her voice from showing, she said, "This is me I guess." With a forced smile and even falser cheerfulness she gave a little wave of goodbye to the man who had stopped beside her. "Well, goodnight then."

Kakashi took a hand out of his pocket and gave a simple wave of goodbye and an eye-crease, wondering about that hint of disappointment he had heard in her voice.

Sakura turned and slowly, dejectedly walked away.

Kakashi turned away, now gazing upon the image of the Hokage Mountain. He tried to fight down the twinge in his chest and make his sandaled feet move…but like most times these days when faced with leaving the kunoichi's presence, he found that …he couldn't.

Knowing he shouldn't, but feeling an undeniable compulsion to, Kakashi spoke up cryptically, loud enough for the woman walking away to hear. "The view from the Hokage Mountain at night is supposed to be therapeutic for both the mind and body," Hands shoved deeper into dark blue pockets, a dark eye cast to the starlit sky. "Or so it's said."

Sakura immediately stopped. She knew this was his casual way of inviting her along. She forced down the wide smile that over came her features before turning around with her face forcefully blank and her lips pressed tightly together.

Brows raised, chewing on the side of her cheek thoughtfully, she replied interested, "Is it? I've been there hundreds of times before but-" lying yet again, turning to gaze at the shadowed stone faces, Sakura continued. "-I've never seen it at night."

Kakashi's response was to continue slowly walking on, but not before giving the kunoichi, who was trying not to smile, a happy little eye crease. Sakura nonchalantly took up her position next to him again and they continued on in relative silence –more like nervousness on her side. Never in her entire time of knowing Kakashi had the man ever purposely desired nor –in his own way- asked for her company.

Was he just lonely, reaching out for a little companionship? Or was it specifically her company he sought? Sakura didn't know, but she was just glad to be able to continue being in his presence.

Hatake Kakashi was in a rare mood indeed. She felt maybe it had a little something to do with all the drinks he obviously had. She hoped that maybe if she got lucky, like Tsunade, maybe the drink would make him nostalgic and loosen his clamped lips. Maybe she would hear about the people in the photograph she had seen above the bed -the few times she and Naruto had visited him when he was on bed-rest. Maybe she would hear about a past mission, maybe they would talk about one of their own past missions, maybe he would ask about herself, or…

Sakura stopped her inner ramblings. She didn't know who she was kidding. She knew once they got there, it was more likely that they'd just sit there quietly. She could see Kakashi eventually getting fed up by her awkward presence and finally whipping out his trusty book to stem the boredom. Or leave questioning why he had subjected himself with her peculiar company in the first place.

Sakura was brought out of her self-loathing by a pondering tone coming from the usually tightlipped man to her side.

Hands in his pockets, eye cast to the star strewn sky, Kakashi said wisely as they took the first stair leading to their destination "I was once told by the third that each stair traversed eases the worry from the mind and the stress from the body."

"More like burns the muscles in the legs…" Sakura winced as her little joke sounded childish and silly, no doubt reminding the man, she just figured out she was attracted to that she was so much younger than himself. Sakura cast her eyes to the floor and off to the side. She unconsciously mimicked Kakashi's posture by slouching and stuffing her hands into the pockets of her own jounin uniform again.

She was surprised to hear not a sigh or a groan of _'what the hell did I bring her along for'_ but a chuckle, a single laugh. It effectively made her frown turn upside down.

An amused, "I never gave much stock in that saying myself," and a friendly shoulder bump, from a man who normally didn't allow physical contact, made her smile widen. She laughed, her nervousness almost disappearing…almost.

A comfortable silence reigned as they made their way to the top of the mountain.

By the time they made it to the summit, Sakura was ever so thankful that someone had come up with the brilliant idea to put a few park benches along the peak to sit down on. She was just glad she hadn't been one of the two who were forced to haul said benches up to such a high and leg burning spot. Poor Kotetsu and Izumo, she really felt for those guys.

Sakura watched Kakashi walk over to the first bench he came to. She also watched him slide onto the farthest left side of the wooden seat, comfortably putting an arm on the back of the bench. She quickly calculated in her mind. If she took the farthest right side of the bench, his gloved hand would rest just behind her left shoulder.

She casually took her seat on the opposite end of the bench.

Sakura felt nervous again. But it wasn't like she had never pulled up a piece of grass next to the man before. After sparing practice, she was known to flop exhaustedly on the ground, not giving two shits about who was sitting beside her. Plus, during the last mission she'd found herself sitting next to Kakashi more often than not. But then again, that had been before Sakura realized she actually liked him in _'that way'_.

Head lifted, gazing at the moon, Kakashi surprised her by starting an actual conversation.

Sagely, looking over the twinkling lights, he said, "There are many things that we, as ninja, consciously or even subconsciously want and desire, but because of either duty or a deep ingrained sense of honor we generally fail to attain them." A serious dark eye turned toward her. "Do you agree with that statement Sakura?"

'_Wow, what a depressing statement.'_ Sakura thought. She quickly mulled it over. "Well…our work is dangerous after all. Most die at a young age I suppose." She smiled at the moon. "But, I guess that's why lots of us choose to live by that old saying _'seize the day'_, right?"

Kakashi nodded his head to the side thoughtfully, considering her words. "Mm… Yes."

Sakura sensed something off about Kakashi's reaction. It was almost as if something was bothering him from the way she watched his brow knit out of the corner of her eye. Unfortunately, she wasn't about to just up and ask. She had never had a real exchange with this man before. And she found herself wanting this discussion to continue, even if the subject was slightly disheartening. It was a nice change of pace between them. She figured it was best just to let him lead the discussion as he saw fit so as not to scare him off so to speak.

Silence stretched as she did so, the sound of crickets growing louder around them during the long pause.

Finally, a second before Sakura felt she might just go insane, Kakashi spoke. "Seize the day…" Kakashi began drumming his fingers on top of the bench behind her. Sakura almost jumped from the sound and feel, having forgotten that it had been there in the first place. Not looking at the woman beside him, Kakashi asked offhandedly, "Do you live by that particular philosophy Sakura?"

Trying not to slide off the bench away from the hand still drumming behind her, Sakura replied with a nervous laugh, "Ha, well not like Naruto-" A slight scowl formed on her lips. "-and definitely not like that lecherous womanizer Genma obviously-" The scowl was traded for a small smile. "But I would like to think so." Sakura bit her lip and asked, "Do you?"

Kakashi turned to the young woman beside him. He regarded her with a silent stare, unnerving the poor girl to no end. The hand drumming behind Sakura stopped as Kakashi replied with something foreign lacing his voice, "Apparently not."

Sakura's fingers unconsciously toyed with a pocket on the lower right hand side of her vest. She desperately looked anywhere, but at the man still silently staring at her. Flustered, she started rambling. "Y-You know, I-I can't see you being afraid of doing anything Kakashi-sensei. I mean- I mean what could possibly scare you-"

Kakashi cut her off, obviously sensing her discomfiture, finally prying his eye from her image. "Oh, but there are things that even I am afraid of unfortunately…"

Hearing those words coming from the man beside her was enough to calm her frazzled nerves. Highly interested she turned to him and asked, "Like what?" Adding a hesitant, "…if you don't mind me asking," for good measure.

The hand behind her began to drum again. With slight amusement Kakashi said, "I'll tell you one if you promise me something."

A pink brow rose, intrigued…but fearful. The only things Kakashi had ever asked from her were harder efforts during sparing and she didn't feel she could give any more than she already was. Sucking in a breath she asked, "Well…what do I have to promise?"

Kakashi smirked behind his mask at the girl's hesitancy. In reassuring tones he consoled her. "Nothing horrible I assure you." Continuing with a slight shrug of the shoulder, "I just thought we could dispense with the use of _'sensei'_ from now on."

Sakura let out a held breath and laughed. "Ha! That, I can do-" She turned to him with a bright smile. "-Kakashi."

She received an eye-crease. "Good." Nodding and looking away he continued sucking his teeth, "Oh right, pass that on to Naruto as well. I think it's about time, makes me feel old, what with the two of you being jounin now."

"But you're not old Kakashi-." She struggled not to add the honorific here. "Kakashi."

"I'm 35 Sakura, a far cry from 21."

Sakura wasn't to be deterred. "Yes, but you're not old. I mean, I've seen you-" A red face ended that sentence abruptly.

He knew what she was going to say. He remembered the incident in the bathhouse. He was still cursing himself for his slip.

A blank, "Leeches," filled the air between them.

No longer red faced Sakura turned to Kakashi confused, thinking what the hell slimy slug thingies had to do with a hot half naked Copy-nin. "Leeches?"

"Leeches. I had a bad experience as a child playing in a lake once. They seem to cling to the damnedest of places…"

Sakura desperately tried not to break into a fit of girlish giggles, seeing as how she was supposed to be reminding him that she was no longer that little girl. "Um, Kakashi?" But her efforts weren't working apparently. "That's… a little more than I wanted to know."

A silver head nodded once. "Ah…." A chuckled, "My apologies," followed later.

Sakura couldn't help it and snickered behind her hand. "Hehe."

Another pause of silence engulfed them, this time longer than the last. Almost 5 minutes into the drawn out nothingness, Kakashi, still looking out over the twinkling lights of the village, said in a tone letting her know what he said was true, "You know Sakura, if you're tired, don't feel as if you have to stay and keep this old man company. I'll understand."

Sakura raised a playful eyebrow. "Are you trying to get rid of me Kakashi?" Crossing her arms, she role-played an irritated facade. "You could have just told me you wanted to be alone you know."

A warning, "…Sakura," made her smirk fall.

"You're no fun." In a sure voice she replied, "No, I'm fine really. I don't mind."

Another silent minute ticked by…then she felt what was the unmistakable sensation of fingers playing in the bottom strands of her hair. Sakura froze. Looking to her left out of the corner of her eye, she could see a gloved hand lazily twirling a few strands of her pink tresses. Kakashi was playing with her hair! Inner Sakura almost fainted, thinking, _'What the hell!'_

This was beyond strange Kakashi behavior…

Sure he had ruffled her hair when she was a kid –sometimes even now when he wanted to piss her off- but he had never done this! It was almost as if he were…

No... No well in hell! Inner Sakura was coming up with excuses for this bit of close personal contact. Right now _'infinite boredom'_ was her top choice, right next to _'morbid curiosity'. _

Sakura herself was curious all right. This was not Kakashi behavior, at least none that she had ever encountered before. She had half a mind to pull out a kunai and demand to know who the hell this imposter was.

Dark eye trained on the moon above, Kakashi asked flatly, "Does this make you uncomfortable?"

In a way it did, but not in an altogether bad way. Truthfully if he stopped, then she'd just have to kill him. So she timidly whispered out a simple 'No' as a response… fidgeting with a loose thread on the bottom of her vest.

Kakashi's reply was a normal every day simple, "Good." But coupled with a piercing stare that made gooseflesh appear all over her body and her heartbeat to race, not to mention the hand still in her hair...

This was definitely not normal Kakashi behavior and Sakura knew it.

Kakashi continued to stare at her; silently waging an inner war that had been going on since the moment he had asked her to accompany him at that intersection earlier.

The hand in her hair smoothly slid to the back of her neck, seemingly of its own accord, bringing his inner diatribe to a close, drawing the woman near. It seemed his body had already determined an answer, one that he obviously couldn't deny. Being subjected to her close proximity, alone, and for so long had obviously been his undoing. He had tried to fight it off for as long as he could, but all he heard was Anko and Gai's earlier words mixed with the philosophy of _'seize the day' _in his ear.

Sakura found herself staring across the small space between them into a heavy lidded dark eye that was filled with something even her naïve mind could recognize. It was pretty evident in the adamant way that particular eye continued to gaze transfixed down at her substantially parted lips.

Hatake Kakashi, her team leader, former teacher, and currently the man she found herself extremely attracted to…was seriously debating whether or not to kiss her. And needless to say, Haruno Sakura went deaf and mute. But thankfully not blind as the hand -not gently massaging the back of her neck- slowly pulled down the ever present dark mask, eye still riveted to her mouth.

The moment the mask pooled underneath Kakashi's chin, Sakura's eyes went wide. She had seen the sight before that time in the bathhouse and so many times in her mind recently, but a memory was nothing compared to the real thing. And here was the real thing slowly traversing that space between them, with his hand smoothly sliding up from the nape of her neck to gently cradle the back of her head.

Kakashi turned his head slightly to the side, so close that she could feel his breath fan across her cheek, hand not in her hair going to grip her hip. In a deep voice, dark gaze still set, Kakashi slowly closed the last remaining distance between them whispering ever so quietly, "Good… because I hope this doesn't either," before capturing her bottom lip between his own.

At first Sakura didn't respond to the man lightly tugging on her lip, too shocked at the entire situation to do anything but sit there and stare wide eyed. But as it slowly began to sink in what was happening and exactly who it was attacked to her mouth…

Sakura responded, feeling as if she had died and gone to heaven. Her eyes shut, her hands went to his vest covered chest and her own lips began to move against Kakashi's clumsily trying to match his delicate movement and gentle touch. The hand tangled in her hair pressed her lips firmly to him, the other hand moving her zipper down, undoing her similar green vest.

Hearing the sounds of sliding metal, their lips parting and then pressing firmly back together, and the electric touch of the soft lips pressed so tightly to his own, it all quickly started to drive Kakashi to a point of no return. All sense of willpower had crumbled and turned to ash the moment his hand had touched the creamy skin of the young woman's neck. He had desperately wanted this for months and here he was intimately touching and kissing the very woman he had been fantasying about for so long…and she hadn't pushed him away. She was actually kissing him back with equal fever!

This young beautiful woman wanted him just like he wanted her. That knowledge alone was enough to make his blood boil, his hands start roaming, and his arousal to harden. This was like a fantastical fantasy come true. Things were moving too slow for him then, extremely too slow for his liking. Kakashi wanted Sakura and he wanted her now.

Sakura felt the change in the atmosphere around them immediately.

The moment she felt Kakashi's tongue forcefully slip past her lips and sweep the roof of her mouth, she felt a tingle go all the way to the core of her body. His hand's felt like a whirlwind assaulting her nerve endings. They were everywhere, making her skin tingle, stroking the flaming fire erupting in her belly. Kakashi's hand in her hair left to aid his other to push her vest from her shoulders. With her help it ended up lying forgotten on the bench behind her.

Each time she thought the kiss was going to break, he just pulled back slightly, turned his head to the other side and then plunged right back in for another deep kiss. But she wasn't complaining.

No one had ever kissed her like this.

(The only people she had ever kissed was a dying former teammate turned evil and a (now) nameless, faceless 'village boy' that she had a single meaningless unfortunate, drunken curiosity filled night with –that hadn't finished with sex because she surprisingly still had half a mind to stop).

No one had ever had her feeling like a struck match before. The flames of desiring burned at the apex of her body with the feeling of such an intimate exchange…a hot, profound, _'I want to eat you alive'_ type of kiss.

The next thing she knew, she felt both of Kakashi's hands tightly grip her hips and in one swift fluid motion, lips still attached, she felt herself being lifted… and repositioned on his lap. She was straddling Kakashi, his arms wrapped securely around her, her chest pressed tightly to the front of his vest.

Kakashi came up for air finally, panting for breath. Instead of looking at her, or trying to explain, his mouth simply slipped from her lips and dove straight down to latch onto the flesh of her throat. His left hand slipped back into her hair, gently tugging her head to the side to give him more access to the succulent skin of her neck. His other hand was hooked under her arm and over her shoulder stretching the collar of her long-sleeved undershirt as far as it would go, hot open mouth now trailing each exposed inch revealed.

Kakashi's extreme close proximity, his frantic pace, his labored breathing, his heated growls, his rugged grunts, and his delicious relentless sucking on the flesh of her neck and shoulders was driving her insane…but at the same time frightening her to no end. Haruno Sakura at the ripe age of 21 was still a virgin. A (semi) untouched woman that had only just a few hours ago figured out that she was actually harboring an attraction for the man that had been her sensei. She thought him to be a man that had absolutely no interest in her whatsoever as a woman until just a few short seconds ago.

Ninety percent of her was ecstatic to know that Kakashi was equally attracted to her and wanted to do things…to her, but there was still that ten percent left unaccounted for. There was still that rationale part of her that was sending off the same alarm bells that stopped her virginity from being taken the last time.

The bells only seemed to go off even louder the moment she heard a rasped heated, "I have to have you," near her ear, heavy emphasis on the word _'have'_. This was in turn followed up by the hand on her shoulder sliding down to roughly grab her right buttock. Said filled hand forcefully pressed her lower body against his own as his hips thrust harshly up and rolled against her. Showing her exactly how much he wanted her indeed, which, by the large rigid hardness sliding against her lightly cloth covered center, happened to be a whole hell of a lot.

This both turned her on and frightened her even more.

It was a clear indication that Kakashi wanted more from her than she had ever given to any one in her entire life…and she'd be lying if she said it didn't scare the shit out of her. Just earlier Ino had questioned her on the act of kissing Kakashi and she had hesitated. Now, here she was mimicking the act of hot steamy sex on a bench overlooking the village with him!

There was that rational part of her, yelling in her ear that this wasn't right. She had no idea where she stood with him, if anywhere. Did he even care about her? Could he ever love her? Was this just a one time deal to him? Was sex all he wanted from her? What would happen after?

This was all new to her. She, herself had no idea what she was feeling for him. She just knew there was an attraction, a strong magnetic pull of sorts. She hardly knew anything about him, much less what _he_ may be thinking at the moment. This was a man who she had thought possessed little to no emotions other than boredom and anger before this all started. But right now, he was showing her quite a few and it slightly bothered her that the one emotion being screamed the loudest was…lust.

But unfortunately, the sudden friction between her legs, the hot mouth sucking on her flesh and the warm hands finding their way underneath the hem of her shirt felt too good to ponder such things at the moment. Lust was a good word to describe what she felt as well. She was lost in the torrent of sensations being wrought on her hypersensitive body. Lust described exactly what she was feeling as she unconsciously ground away on her team leader's lap, hands fisted in Kakashi's hair at the back of his silvery head.

All thought, questions, doubts…anything really was quickly swiped from her brain like an eraser wiping clean a chalkboard as she felt her shirt being lifted. His roaming hands massaged the lean muscles of her stomach and then quickly moved upward. She didn't want to do anything but just…feel.

Both sets of hips rocking in tandem, grunts and moans filtering in the air, Sakura took in a huge deep sharp breath as two large hands shakily ran under and over both her bound breasts simultaneously, roughly squeezing as they went. The moment she had sucked in that breath from the sensation of his hands, Kakashi growled into her neck, "Do that again for me Sakura," accompanied by a hard upward thrust of his arousal harshly rubbing against her moistened center.

She complied, easily doing as he asked from the sensations driving her insane between her legs and the hands squeezing, pinching, and rolling her pink fleshy peaks through the white linen between them. All sorts of sounds were coming from her throat; most that she had no idea what they were and rightfully didn't care at the moment.

But Kakashi did.

Every moan that came from her mouth, every incoherent word sighed or whispered was music to his ears, adding to his erratically beating heart, the fire in his veins, the aching throb in his loins.

Incensed he roughly forced her shirt to her throat and removed his mouth from her shoulder with a loud wet suctioned release. Shirt pushed to her collarbone, Sakura's back arched as Kakashi's mouth crudely latched on to her right breast, over her binding, like a babe hungrily suckling for milk. Her entire body shuddered from the extreme new sensations adding to the fire between her legs. The noise, feel, and sight of the constant suction on her thinly covered breast coupled with the almost erratic thrashing between her legs was just too much for her. In her still relatively untouched state it was more than she could bear.

A drawn-out shaky strangled cry ripped from her throat as a profuse amount of wetness pooled beneath her, soaking through her clothes and lightly dampening Kakashi's.

The moment Kakashi heard her strangled cry of release, he pried his mouth from around her pink fleshy nipple like a bolt of lighting had hit him. Sakura's shirt fell back into place, his headband covered forehead pressed to her hammering chest immediately afterward. His hands quickly went to her waist trying to still her –and his own- motions.

Forehead dejectedly rubbing side to side, much like a stamp trying to be coated in ink, below the hollow of her throat, Kakashi miserably whispered through his panting. He tried to calm his breathing and his –vile, in his eyes- arousal saying simply the word, "Fuck…."

As Sakura slowly started coming down from her over stimulated high, the man who had been so ready to rip her clothes off and have his way with her…had found his conscious and it had come ironically with the sound of her climax. At that moment all he heard in his head was:

'_What the fuck is wrong with you Hatake? She's not some sleazy tramp you can just toss aside in the morning! This is little Sakura, the young girl who you used to teach, the same young woman who is still your goddamn teammate! For Christ's sake she used to look up to you! What the hell's wrong with you! You had better be fucking glad things stopped when they did! She's still a fucking virgin you sorry bastard!'_

Headband covered eye still pressed to the young woman's raggedly breathing chest, Kakashi tried to continue, a haze of emotions clogging his throat and preventing the use of complete sentences. Most of the emotions shining through being shame, guilt, and remorse as he choked out "…my fault …never should have …fuck. …so sorry."

Hearing and feeling the girl in his arms reach that peak so early in the game had loudly reminded him that this wasn't some sex-crazed fantasy version of Haruno Sakura. This was Haruno Sakura in the flesh, a sweet innocent young woman. Kakashi felt like a complete and utter total bastard sitting there with his sated young teammate on his lap.

Kakashi knew enough about Sakura to know that this was not what she wanted. Even if she happened to tell him that right now, he knew it wasn't true. He had spent enough time around the young woman to figure out that Sakura was one of the few who still believed in love.

What they were doing had nothing to do with love at all. It was just a means to quench an insatiable desire…at least he was sure of that on his part.

And there was no way he would let things continue as is because Kakashi wouldn't take away the only innocence the girl had left. He had no right. He wouldn't let her first time be with a former sensei/team leader who couldn't keep it in his pants. She deserved a whole hell of a lot better.

Besides even if she weren't a virgin, he wouldn't continue. He was well aware that sex was synonymous with the word love in her naïve green eyes.

And Kakashi felt relatively sure that he could certainly give one…but definitely not the other.

Again, she deserved better…far better than he could ever give her… that was for damn sure.

As for Sakura, the moment she had reached that euphoric bliss that she had never experienced before, she had also come crashing back to reality. Kakashi's uncharacteristic emotional shame and guilt ridden words of apology had been nothing short of…a slap in the face to her.

* * *

TBC 


	7. Mountain of Change

**Mountain of Change**

* * *

Haruno Sakura was quite aware that most people thought that she was still young and naïve about the ways of the world, even as a shinobi at the ripe age of 21. She also knew that in some ways they were correct. For one, as stated before, she was still a virgin. But she also knew that in most ways they were wrong. For instance, she could kill a man in twenty different ways with a pinky or even…a tooth pick. Fortunately for Genma she had never tried her hand in that particular forte. For another, being a virgin by no means meant that she had never known the trails of love.

If anything, she was a hardened veteran in that facet. She had spent half her life devoted to that aspect with a boy who hadn't shown the least bit of reciprocation…until it was much too late. The returned words of love and adoration she had longed for had come as his lasts breaths had left his body.

Haruno Sakura knew just how cruel life and love could be in that moment. Just as she was learning that harsh lesson all over again now, sitting on the lap of a man that obviously regretted what he had done.

But Sakura had learned something in that tragic moment all those years ago. She had come away with the knowledge that it was better to have loved and lost, then to have never loved at all. Cliché as it may sound it was true, for it was love, hers and Naruto's that had ultimately saved Uchiha Sasuke in the end, maybe not his body, but it had saved his soul.

So, from past experience Sakura, just like all those years before, wasn't about to let the man she felt a strong connection to go without at least saying her piece. So in her mind, Hatake Kakashi, the 'ninja', should have seen this coming, even if Hatake Kakashi, the 'man' wasn't so ingenious.

Fighting to keep her own emotions under control –trying not to cry-, hands limply at her sides, throat clogged, she managed to rasp out two shaky words. "Please…stop."

Hands still gripping feminine hips, the mop of silver pulled back and regarded the woman sitting rigidly on its lap. Kakashi had heard her words, but failed to understand them. Questioning gaze in his dark eye he called out to the girl in a half whisper. "Sakura?"

Feeling brave enough to say the words, but not brave enough to look him in the eye, emerald eyes immediately slid to the side. Regardless of the dip in her courage, she shakily continued, "I-I know what you're thinking… and please...don't think that way."

Pink brows furrowed and her gaze lifted to the sky to keep the tears from falling. Feeling sure in the assumption that if she removed herself from her current position, the man under her would flee, she forced herself to use some of the knowledge that she had garnered from the past. It was made clear to her through past experience that one should never leave things unsaid. No matter how hard it was to actually get it out.

Swallowing past the lump, looking unfocused over to the left –missing the fact that Kakashi's gaze was over to her right and not actually on her, she forced herself to continue. "You're thinking that you should never have asked me to come up here with you in the first place… and that it was a mistake to… kiss me. And because of it you hate your self. And right now you want nothing more than to put as much space between us as possible." Sakura forced her eyes to slide to the man in front of her, trying to sound collected, asking. "…Am I right?"

Kakashi remained silent, looking to the side. Kakashi knew he was a bastard, but still he wasn't bastard enough to actually voice his confirmation. He could tell by the quiver in her voice that just knowing that he wanted to disappear was hurting her enough already. Why add fuel to the fire so to speak.

Sakura tried to push past her hurt and slight bitterness, putting her hands lightly onto Kakashi's vest covered shoulders. She tried not to flinch when he involuntarily pulled away slightly. Legs primed to become vice-like incase the cornered man tried to push her off, Sakura pressed on saying the hardest part of the conversation for her.

Trying to keep the quiver from her voice she began. "Just so you know I-" A bit of earnest leaked in here. "-_wanted_ to come with you. I… didn't leave the bar to go home." Lip trembling now -Kakashi's own features a myriad of emotions- she timidly revealed more. "I wanted to find you." A feminine voice cracked. "…To be with you." A lone hot traitorous tear now slipped from her lash after blinking. She whispered more. "I wanted to come here. ….I even _wanted_ you to….kiss me."

Kakashi dropped his head to her chest again and scowled. He was angry at himself, and for lots of things in that moment. But mostly, right now, for creating that tremor in her voice and producing that tear sliding down her cheek. He felt damned if he did and damned if he didn't. If he hadn't stopped, even if she hadn't, he wouldn't have been able to live with himself afterwards. He'd have to live with the fact that they'd done something together that should have been beautiful to her. But it wouldn't have been. And he couldn't offer her anything in return. Love was not part of his vocabulary.

But even now after things had come to a halt, he still felt like shit…and he had hurt her. Kakashi didn't want to hurt Sakura. He never wanted to hurt her, but it had to be done, for both their sakes.

Thinking back to the kiss, before things went south, she admitted slightly pink biting her lip, "It was nice by the way." Even in her hurting she was able to form a smile on bringing up the memory. However small it was, it still a smile. "… really nice." Then the smile fell, seriousness firming her voice. "But I won't lie. I'm glad things stopped when they did." The hands at her hips tightened, like the hand around her heart. She knew what he was thinking. But he was wrong. Sure in her words she answered, "Not because I'm not ready." Kakashi's grip slackened slightly. "But because-" The quiver was back in full force and this time there was no stopping it. "-because if you're regretting what happened already…" She paused trying to reel herself in, but ultimately failing. Trying to keep her chest from heaving, the tears flowing, and being overcome with hurt and raw emotion, Sakura choked out a painfully forced laugh, "God forbid how you'd feel if things went any further right?"

And then she lost it.

The flood gates open, Sakura quickly scrambled backward and off the man she knew to hate conversation and loath, even more so, such open emotion. In her own shame, she quickly snatched her vest and began to hurriedly head for the stairs. She had done all she could. Even if she wanted to, she wasn't able to say any more.

Like in a round of shougi, her turn had passed.

Kakashi sat, brows knitted, jaw clenched, shoulders slumped, watching the kunoichi, who had just shown him another reason as to why she was no longer that little girl but a mature young woman, just…walk away.

In his mind there were so many reasons why he should just let her go.

It was widely thought by many that the famous Copy-nin was a heartless, emotionless bastard…and truthfully sitting, listening to her breakdown on his lap he felt they weren't too far off the mark. But in that particular moment alone on the bench, something snapped in side him. Hatake Kakashi slipped from being that elite Konoha shinobi to that of….a mere man.

He was a man that couldn't let the distraught woman disappear without at least saying or doing…something to comfort her. Standing from his position, his hands began to move.

Sakura throwing on her vest hurriedly took the stairs almost two at a time, a feat made much easier in the descent. After finally managing to get her shaky hands to maneuver the pesky piece of metal, she zippered the flaps closed and went back to desperately trying to dry her eyes.

Halfway to the bottom she ran into a wall.

At least it felt like a wall. Then again, walls didn't have strong arms that wrapped around you or a soft constitution to press your forehead to….

Wanting to say '_I'm sorry'_ but knowing it wouldn't go over too well, Kakashi calmly said, to the weeping woman he held in his arms, "I can't promise you that I won't regret what just happened, but I can say that I will… try not to."

Sakura threw her own arms around him and cried hard into his chest, managing to get out between sobs, "Good…because…if ….I don't….you….shouldn't….either."

* * *

**A Few Minutes Later…**

Sakura, slightly puffy eyed, stood outside her apartment door, the light of the street lamps a little ways away being the only source of light. The bulb above her door had obviously burned out again. Sakura stood with the door to her back, arms crossed, and a forced slight smile on her shadowed face. They hadn't spoken to each other since Kakashi's consoling words on the stairs.

Kakashi had walked her home, something the aloof man had never done before. He had kept a relatively safe distance from her, hands in his pockets and silent as always. But he had walked her home, which counted for something in her book.

But still there was so much left unsaid.

She wasn't about to go inside without at least some kind of talk between them. He had to say something to her. He owed her that much, she was certain. She felt so confused. One minute they were sharing in a nice conversation, the next he was playing in her hair and after that… Well, it certainly wasn't talk that was for sure. He had instigated the whole thing! Ok, she had joined in, but she wasn't the one holding any regrets.

If she had any it was that –even though it had scared her at first- things hadn't progressed further. It was becoming more and more apparent to her with the stretching silence that their little escapade over looking the village was going to be the only close contact she would ever share with him. And after realizing that maybe experiencing more with Kakashi was something she might like to do… Well, knowing that she would never be able to do so now was…disheartening to say the least.

After finally realizing the full extent of her feelings, what with the things they had just done, she felt as if she wanted to be with Kakashi in every way possible. But even being certain in that fact, she knew it would never work, not just from his shame filled words from before. She had spent years with the man. In that time she had figured out certain things about him. During the tension filled silence she had enough time to think things through. She knew Kakashi wasn't one to have anything other than just casual sex with a woman…every blue moon. And she had only garnered that much information after being teamed with the loose lipped and overly perverted Genma. She knew his life was his duty…but she was steadily feeling that she wanted to be part of it.

But not just some casual fling.

She was pretty damn sure now that if things had escalated on that wooden bench that she would have been tossed aside like all the other females he had obviously spent the night with before. Sakura didn't want to just be some casual fling to him. She wanted to be something special to him like he was steadily becoming to her.

But Sakura had become a realist from her line of work….and past experience. Sasuke was a boy who had aspirations of killing his brother to cloud his true feelings. But Kakashi was a grown man that was set in his ways. His judgment wasn't clouded at all, if anything his solitary lifestyle was something deeply ingrained. It wasn't something that one experience on a mountaintop with a pretty young girl could change. No matter how much she wished it did. Kakashi wasn't like her and she knew that.

They continued to silently stare at each other with more than just the foot of space between them.

Kakashi's dark eye roamed over her red puffy eyes, her kiss bruised lips, and even the dark bruising his own lips had left on her neck that quite possibly trailed down underneath the material of her shirt and vest to her shoulders. He had felt nothing but lust toward her up there on that mountaintop, but as he held her on those stairs…he had felt something entirely foreign. It was the same feeling that was gripping his heart now as he quietly stood there in the shadows of her doorstep, silently looking into her melancholy eyes.

He could read that look all too well. She knew. Sakura knew what he was going to say. And he could tell from the furrow of her brows that she was desperately trying to understand it. Kakashi was always one of procrastination, but never with things that were truly important. And he considered this to be a top priority. So, taking the few necessary steps between them to bring himself just within arms reach, he proceeded forward.

Feeling that they were past such trivial things such as worry over close contact at least in that particular moment, he brought his gloved hand up and twirled a few strands of hair between his fingers. In a deep calm voice he began to say the words he knew she was already waiting to hear.

Eye on the hand in her hair he began, "Things have obviously changed between us." His eye moved to her two in a deep stare, punctuating his words. "We can never go back to the way things were." The hand moved up through her hair to cup her cheek lightly. "But I'm afraid that things can never go further than-" Silver brows furrowed. "-what has already happened." A tear slid down her cheek and his thumb brushed it away. Kakashi's insides churned in his stomach, his chest tightening with the pain he was creating behind those emerald eyes.

Feeling the need to be honest, to try to explain in some way to make her understand, he continued, "I never intended things to happen the way they did." His silver head bowed, his voice turning gruff with the anger he held for himself. "I lost control." Sakura watched silently, more tears cascading down her cheek as he looked back upon her. She watched him lift his head, her heart breaking as she watched his gaze turn to something almost…tender. It broke even more as she heard and felt it in her heart the genuine feeling behind his next softly spoken words. "Know that I never meant to hurt you Sakura." His other hand came up and he used both thumbs to brush away the slowly growing river of tears flowing from her saddened eyes.

Finally, his closing words fell between them hitting home like a kunai through the heart to her. It was true she expected them, but it did nothing to dull the pain. "There can never be anything between us." A sob escaped past her lips, forcing the human side of him to pull her to him. Kakashi held her to his chest, just as he had done on those steps. But instead of words of consoling, he told her the truth. She deserved to know. It was the least he could do.

Holding her in his arms, his chin resting on the top of her rosette colored hair, he explained, "Not because you were my student. Not because of the age gap between us. Not even because of the fact that I am still your leader, but because… I am a ninja." Taking her by the shoulders and gently pulling her back to look her in the eye, he said beseechingly, "It's who I am and all that I know." Even with the mask back on she could tell from the look in his dark eye that what he said was genuine. He had concluded with an earnest, "Please, understand this."

Needless to say, Sakura did understand.

But that didn't necessarily mean she liked it. As she stood there, she hated the fact that they were shinobi. She hated everything that had to do with the shinobi way. She wanted to rip off her damn headband and say screw honor! To hell with duty! What was the point in risking her life mission after mission? What good was money or honor when she could never be truly happy? What was the point when it all just seemed to fuck up every man that she had ever wanted?

But what could she do? In all actuality it was who she was as well. She was a kunoichi. And when she had put on that cloth and metal head piece with the leaf symbol etched into its surface, she was well aware that she would be forced to make certain sacrifices in her life. But she wished like hell that Kakashi didn't have to be one of them.

Yes she did understand. She knew the one thing that stood between them wasn't other people's opinions or a want to remain single and free. What stood between them was plain and simple. It was duty that took top priority over everything in Kakashi's life. It was something she had always known, but had never really thought about until now.

With tear streaked cheeks, she gazed back at him. Using everything within her, she mustered up a slight smile and quietly rasped out in almost a whisper two words. Understanding shining in her jaded eyes, she looked upon him and said simply, "I do."

Before he had departed in his usual cloud of smoke Sakura had been given two words. Kakashi had lowered his masked lips to her ear, whispering out a sincere, "Thank you."

* * *

**_Two Days Later… _**

Life had went on like usual, only seeing Kakashi during sparing practice early in the morning and then having the rest of the day to herself. The first day of practice had been painfully awkward to say the least, but they had managed to get through it. Kakashi had been the usual actor extraordinaire of course, never letting on that anything had happened between them. Even the wide birth he gave her came off as nonchalant.

Sakura had done her part, forcing her eyes to meet with his once or twice, even managing to say a calm 'hello' and 'Goodbye'. She had even wrangled an eye-crease from him, calling him 'Kakashi' once, later subtly suggesting to Naruto that he do the same. At the end of their session, Naruto had been appropriately fooled but it became apparent that Genma hadn't. She had watched him harass their leader as Kakashi sat lounging beneath a tree, out of the corner of her eye as she walked away with Naruto jabbering by her side.

She had failed to notice his dark eye follow her departure behind a certain paperback as a certain senbon user squawked in his ear.

The second sparring practice had gone much the same, the only difference was that instead of his usual lounging afterwards, Kakashi had 'poof''d away. Sakura would bet her favorite teddy bear 'Mr. Yuki' that he had done so to get away from Genma's persistent questioning. The nosey sod had even tried to throw in an inquiry during her spar with him. She had answered with a calm 'nothing' followed by a –not so calm- kick to his side.

Still, even though not but two days ago something monumental had happened to change the way each looked at the other…things weren't that much different. Sakura was surprised that she didn't feel resentment or anger toward Kakashi. Even though he had handled things without his usual grace, Kakashi had been honest with her, something that she hadn't gotten before with Sasuke.

Every time she thought about it, she was surprised that Kakashi had stayed and discussed his side with her at all. She knew he hated such talk. She reasoned this was partly the reason why she didn't feel like scratching his eyes out. It had obviously taken a lot for him to say the things he had, not to mention the fact that he had held her not once…but twice.

Before that night she never would have thought him capable of such acts. But she was steadily learning that her hard nosed leader was more than just the hard ass that bossed them around, who sat under trees reading his dirty little books.

Kakashi was a man with flaws and feelings… just like any other human being.

And that's exactly why; even though she was desperately trying not to…she feared she might be steadily falling in love with him.

* * *

**2 Weeks Later…**

"Something wrong Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, concern lacing his voice as he sat across from her eating his sandwich in the tall grass. Genma had gone off to find suitable bushes to use at his 'disposal' as Kakashi sat under a tree nearby reading his book as usual. They had one more day of travel before they would once again step over that threshold to their beloved village. It had been another simple escort mission, this time to Diamond country.

Sakura came out of her thoughtful daze sitting across from her friend in the tall grass. "Hm? No, nothing really, just thinking."

It wasn't a lie. She was alright and she had been thinking. Ever since the start of the mission, Sakura had been pondering over whether or not she should finally move on from the team. Her thoughts had turned to this subject ever since Naruto had mentioned his interest in joining ANBU. Three days before the mission had started, he began badgering everyone, asking for their opinion on if he was ready or not in their eyes to apply.

Iruka had given him a slight frown but had given his consent, obviously worrying about the young man he considered a son of sorts to no end. Jiraiya had clapped him on the back and nodded his head. Kakashi had given him a single grunt that Naruto had taken as a 'yes' but could loosely be taken as…anything really to anyone else. Genma had given him a, "Yes! Alright! Just shut the hell up already!"

Sakura had been hesitant about her answer, not wanting her best friend to part ways with her just yet. She had merely told him that he should take some time to think it through to make sure that this career change was something he really wanted to do. He had taken her words to heart and hadn't brought up the subject since.

That had been four days ago.

…Now she was having a change of heart. Tsunade had approached her after the briefing for this particular mission about an opening at the hospital. It couldn't have come at a better time. Things between her and Kakashi were still slightly strained, but that was to be expected after what had happened. There was no anger on Sakura's part. There was more of a dull ache every time she was around him. Not because she regretted what happened, but because she wanted more. And more was something she knew and understood that he couldn't give her.

That's why for Naruto, Kakashi and herself, she had made her decision.

Truly smiling she looked over to her friend, "You know what Naruto?"

Puzzled by the unusual happy look being given toward himself no less, Naruto inquired hesitantly, "What's…. that Sakura-chan?"

Still smiling she said, unknowingly catching the attention of the man under the tree, "I think you'll make a fine ANBU operative. You should definitely apply." She watched her friend's smile grow wide with a pleased beam and found herself smiling as well. With a reassuring pat on the shoulder she urged Naruto, "Matter of fact, you should put in for the examination as soon as we get back!"

Pleased but puzzled, Naruto asked, "Really? You think I'm ready?"

She gave him a nod. "Yep!" She received another huge grin in return. "And don't worry about me. I've decided to take Tsunade-sama up on her offer to be Shizune-senpai's head assistant in the new experimental medicine department."

Naruto launched himself at Sakura in a bear hug. "That's great Sakura-chan!"

It was great. It was a steady paycheck instead of living mission to mission, the work was interesting and much safer. Naruto wouldn't feel bad about _'leaving her behind'_. And it would also give her much needed time away from Kakashi. It was something she knew they both needed, but probably her more than him. She knew it was for the best. So, it was a win, win situation. One that she felt would do them all some good.

She failed to see the silver brow behind the paperback furrow in concern.

* * *

**That Night…**

Sakura groggily woke up from her not so peaceful slumber by a single tap to her shoulder. Genma had taken the first watch with Kakashi going second. Then it was to be Sakura's duty with Naruto being the last. It had always been this way. Once Genma had been added to their team, a democratic meeting of sorts had taken place discussing the order of things. Actually it was more like the two older shinobi laid down the law and her and Naruto were left to take what was given. Sakura had never minded. She had received middle watch. It wasn't so bad to her.

When she finally rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and sat up, she noticed that Kakashi wasn't lying down by his pack. Normally, by the time she had even begun to rub her eyes his form would always be laying down and gazing up at the sky. It would only take a minute before his one droopy eye would close and light snoring could be heard from his direction. But apparently tonight it seemed he had a bought of insomnia. Or else Sakura figured something was on his mind. He was still sitting by the fire, adding wood to the small blaze poking the embers with a stick when she stood.

Trying to sound casual, making her way over she asked, "Not tired?"

Her only reply was a grunt that she took as a 'no'.

Sakura made her way over to the small fire, sitting a relatively safe distance away from him. (Measuring safe distances, using casual tones, and making only needed eye contact with Kakashi was something she had gotten relatively good at.) Sakura, knowing that conversation wasn't one of the man's favorite things, kept quiet, knees drawn to her chest. She just sat warming her body by the fire staring up into the twinkling lights above, trying to connect the dots to make figures to pass the time. She could tell something was bothering him, but she wasn't about to ask.

Sakura feeling the tension in the air, tried not to tense under it, feeling sure in the fact that he would eventually spit it out.

After another minute of nothing, Kakashi finally broke the silence with the flicker of the firelight in his eye. Always one to get right to the point, Kakashi spoke quietly so as not to wake the others. "I hope that recent events haven't-" He turned to look at her then. "-clouded your judgment."

Sakura forced herself to look from the sky to the man sitting a few spaces away from her. Reassuringly she turned to him and said, "It's not about-" She looked to the fire. "-that." She frowned slightly. "Although, I'd be lying if I said it didn't have a little to do with it." She shook her head. "No, I-I want to join the new department. It's interesting and-" Speaking earnestly she concluded, "I think I could do some real good there."

Kakashi feeling relieved to hear that she hadn't decided solely on the need to distance herself from him gave her his patented happy eye-crease. He was glad to hear that she had decided to take the position. He really was. Time apart from each other was a desperately needed thing in his eyes.

He had felt her stares throughout the entire mission. In truth, he had given her his own when she hadn't been looking. Since that night they shared together on that bench when he had lost control, he felt acutely aware of every little glance, every little accidental brush. They were things and feelings he couldn't attribute to plain lust anymore…and that was definitely something that was dangerous to him. They needed space. He needed space.

Besides, he had heard her discuss the details of her new position with Naruto earlier. It sounded like something that was right up her alley. And he couldn't deny that he agreed with the small voice in his head that said it was safer.

Strongly feeling his words to be true that she would become a great asset to Shizune's team, he said, "I know you will."

Sakura, feeling grateful for his faith in her, gave him a truly brilliant smile. She received an eye-crease in return. They continued to smile at one another, neither one willing to break the only light mood between them that they had shared since that night on the mountain.

Their smiles faded somewhat after a few moments, as they continued to gaze at one another. Kakashi knew he should be getting up and heading over to his pack. The intense need to close the gap between them was steadily overwhelming him.

Unaware to Kakashi, Sakura was having the same extreme feeling. Every time she looked at Kakashi nowadays she felt the burning desire to simply be close to him. But as she continued to stare into his dark eye she felt the overwhelming desire to taste his lips again.

Kakashi was fighting that same urge with every fiber of his being across from her. Here they were, alone, something that rarely ever happened, especially with the two of them giving each other as much space as possible. But here they were, sitting by a warm crackling fire together under a blanket of stars with their only two distractions fast asleep and no enemy in sight. Each was thinking, who knows, this could be their last chance to say goodbye since they were obviously going to walk separate paths soon. This could be a closure of sorts. A good-bye that no one would see but each would remember.

Tomorrow when they returned to the village, their lives would change. Neither one would be forced to be in the other's presence. Why not give in to temptation just this once… just for a second…. just to say a much needed goodbye?

So…with those reassuring words in each of their ears, it was as if time had stopped for them. The sounds of the creatures of the night had stilled and the light snoring coming from the others had disappeared. It was just the two of them, sitting together by the crackling fire, shadows dancing across their features.

Neither one was quite sure who had leaned in first but both had ended up traversing the small space between them. Emerald eyes locked on the dark orb silently staring back at her. Leaning in, lips slightly parted Sakura turned her head one way as Kakashi silently turned the other. Slowly, ever so slowly they came together, a dark orb gazing at pink lips and green eyes staring at the space she knew Kakashi's hid behind. Softly they came together in the chastest of kisses. Sakura's lips met mask covered ones in a gentle tender press. There was no hunger, no insatiable desire. When each pulled back there was only emotion gripping their hearts that shown through in their eyes. It was beautiful. Almost as beautiful as Kakashi thought Sakura looked under that firelight. Needless to say, Sakura's breath had been taken away by that one simple kiss.

This wasn't lust. This was something else all together. This was exactly what Kakashi needed to get away from.

In the next moment, Sakura found the spot next to her empty. She blinked and looked over to find Kakashi already bedding down by his preferred sleeping space a few yards from the two snoring lumps of shinobi to his left. Feeling the extreme need to voice what she felt in that moment, she halted his actions by softly almost hesitantly calling out to him. "Kakashi?"

Laying down he looked over to the kunoichi sitting by the fire, trying not to notice how the dance of the flames made her emerald eyes sparkle. "Hm?"

Sakura pressed her lips tightly together and smiled. After getting up the nerve she whispered over the distance so as not to wake the others, "I'll miss-" She paused, her eyes sweeping over her other two teammates and then came to rest on him. "-you guys."

He was well aware that she did mean Naruto and Genma but by her lingering gaze, he knew was she mainly talking about him. Naruto and Sakura had been his teammates for years now. He couldn't deny that he would miss working with his two former students as well. He also couldn't deny that he would miss one more so than the other…but for different reasons. Reasons he was desperately trying not to ponder on. They were things that could seriously disrupt everything he had ever believed in. The very way he lived his life.

So, instead of answering, Kakashi just gave her another silent eye-crease before lying down, closing his eyes and…adamantly trying to fall asleep.

Kakashi inwardly scowled. He was a man set in his ways. Ways that defined exactly who he was and how he lived his life. It was too late in the game to think he could ever change that. Wasn't it?

This thing between them was just a meaningless attraction that would fade with time. Sakura was just another temptation that he had to be strong enough to resist. Wasn't she?

As his dark eye looked over to his pink haired teammate sitting by the fire with her back to him, he found himself asking, _'Then why am I asking questions that no other woman has ever made me ask?'_

* * *

**TBC**

**_Note: I wanted something different…a more human approach. They are shinobi, but shinobi are still people. No matter how detached and emotionless some seem to be. It's like the saying: "If you cut me do I not bleed?"_**


	8. Insightful Space & Advice

**Insightful Space & Advice**

* * *

It was mid afternoon when they finally made it back. Naruto was seriously pumped to go straight to the ANBU recruiting office after handing in their mission report and going through the debriefing process with Tsunade-sama. Sakura was almost wishing she hadn't encouraged him. Naruto wouldn't let up on the whole, _'I'm gonna kick ass and take names'_ bit.

Yes, she had been happy for him, but after the hundredth time of hearing, "Their not going to know what hit 'em!" She wanted to hit _him_. Hard. Maybe watch a few teeth flying in the process.

'_Yeah,'_ Inner Sakura snickered as they made their way toward the Hokage's office. _'That's the ticket!'_

Inner Sakura wilted as emerald eyes slid to the man ahead and off to her right. There was Kakashi strolling with his ever present book before his one dark eye. She knew the moment he walked out of her Shishou's office, it was going to be a very long time before she ever saw him again. But at least she felt relatively sure that he wouldn't completely try to disappear from her life. Their village wasn't that huge and… she knew his regular haunts. If it came down to it, she'd track him down. Besides, they were still friends. Sakura wasn't about to let the only connection she had to him go. They'd been through too much together.

She seriously didn't think he'd try to fade to nothing in her life. But if he ever did try, she'd just pop up every once in a while, just to say hello. She'd respect his choice of course…even if she didn't like it.

Sakura flicked her eyes from Kakashi's image the moment Naruto turned to her asking, "Hey, Sakura-chan. Did you want to come with me?" Trying to bait her he offered, "I'll buy ramen after if you do!"

Genma rolled his eyes on her other side, hands in his pockets snidely remarking, "Don't you ever think about anything else?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes angrily and shot his own remark across her to the senbon user. "Don't you ever think about anything other than sex?"

Genma's eyebrow rose with something resembling appraisal, "Touché." After a suck of his teeth around the metal protruding from his mouth, he asked thoughtfully, "What's so bad about being _'erotically inclined'_ anyway?" His lips formed into a thoughtful purse as his three teammates rolled their eyes. "You'd think people never had sex these days." An evil gleam shone in his dark eyes as he turned to the blonde asking, "You're not a virgin are you Naruto?" With Naruto spluttering he continued almost evilly, "But I mean if you were, that would explain a lot of things."

After turning the brightest red possible, after more than one attempt Naruto finally loudly shouted a, "I'm not a virgin, asshole!" to the man laughing on Sakura's other side. More than one head turned in their direction as they passed vendors, kids playing in the street and the many other pedestrians making their way around the village.

Sakura feeling embarrassed herself, ignoring the laughter coming from their two older teammates, hit Naruto in the head venomously hissing, "Keep that to yourself idiot!"

Genma, broken up in a fit of deep laughter, was promptly silenced the moment a petite fist collided with the side of his head followed by an angry hiss of, "And you! You shouldn't go around asking such personal questions!" Growling she finished with an "A persons purity-" A scowl was given to him as she sized him up. "-or lack there of is none of your damn business!"

Rubbing his head Genma scowled. Then his eyes flicked from Sakura to Kakashi and back. Smirking, trying to finally shed some light on the mystery he desperately had been trying to unravel between the two, he crudely asked, "Is that a hint of an admission I hear?" Missing the tightening of a jaw behind a certain mask he continued with Sakura looking shocked and indignant. Obviously pushing his luck, he pointedly, but being vague enough so the bumbling blonde on her other side wouldn't catch on, he added, "Don't tell me some-" A look to Kakashi. "'lucky guy' has pulled the petals from my favorite flower behind my back?"

There was a shrill shout of "You bastard!" before Naruto was forced to grab onto the enraged kunoichi. With murder gleaming in her eyes, dragging Naruto behind her, she advanced upon the laughing man. Genma easily dodged the fists that came sailing his way with the rest of the woman's colorful words falling on death ears. He was pretty sure what Sakura's reaction was going to be. She was always trying to beat on him for what she deemed to be vulgar comments.

What Genma was really looking for was his favorite drinking buddy's response. But Kakashi had hardly reacted at all. As he took in their leader's image from the corner of his eye in that moment, the only visible difference was the tight grip he had on his book. But that didn't mean a damn thing in Genma's book. Kakashi was always getting uptight now a day for anything deemed _'lewd'_ having to do with Sakura.

Kakashi, turning to his quarreling teammates, calmly said, "Let's go."

Genma frowned ignoring the woman still dragging Naruto to get to him. Calmly resuming his walking, Genma continued to frown. He still had no confirmation that Kakashi had finally done what he and the others had told him. Every time he had tried to bring up the subject before Kakashi had removed himself from the conversation. Genma could tell something had happened the night they had all watched Sakura leave the bar right after Kakashi. Their awkward behavior the next morning during practice had been the one major clue. These past few days of watching them tiptoe around each other was enough to make Genma want to lock them in a closet somewhere together.

He just couldn't understand it. Ok, yeah, he understood that the tight-ass lived and breathed the shinobi way. And yeah, ok maybe being around the younger woman for all those years had made him weary of bedding down with her for a night…But come on! That didn't mean one couldn't have a little fun before they died…at least that was his way of the ninja.

Keeping his eye on Kakashi as the other two finally caught up, Sakura keeping her distance from him, Genma made a little note to force his friend into a little talk later….preferably when he got him plastered and incapable of making his usual quick getaway.

Genma wanted to know what happened and he was determined to find out.

* * *

**A Few Minutes Later…**

Tsunade-sama nodded her head taking in all that had been said. There really wasn't much for her to comment on. It had been a clean escort mission of taking one dignitary of Diamond country to Grass. It had been executed flawlessly even with the blonde loudmouth being part of it. Well, if you didn't count their client sending her a nasty-gram on the many reasons why Naruto should never be seen in his presence again.

Crossing her arms behind her desk she began the dismissal. "Good. Good." Shizune came through the door with a stack of more papers for her to look over and sign. Eyebrow twitching the Godiame tersely shooed the shinobi from her office. "The lot of you, get out!" Her honeyed eyes snapped to her young pink haired apprentice as well as a red painted finger. "Except you."

Sakura hadn't moved from her position, already expecting her mentor to want to talk about her earlier proposal. Tsunade had given her until the end of the mission to find an answer.

As Tsunade scowled and busied herself with Shizune and her gift of more work, Sakura took that time to casually watch the members of her team make their way out of the office. She waved a good-bye to Naruto, smiling as he gave her an almost comical thumbs-up before disappearing through the door. Kakashi had already pulled out his book and was making his way to the door from his spot on the furthest side of the room with Genma ahead of him. Genma shot her a wink and leer before departing. Right before Sakura's heart burst, seeing that Kakashi wasn't even going to look at her before leaving, Tsunade's offhandedly gave the Copy-nin an order. Not looking up from her pile of parchment, she told him to close the door behind him.

But he hadn't even looked back when she had said that. And Sakura had been inconspicuously looking out of the corner of her eye at him the entire time. She didn't want him to leave. The knowledge that she quite possibly wasn't going to see him for a substantial amount of time had her stomach churning. The incredible urge to stop him was so overwhelming as she stood in front of her mentor that the muscles in her calves actually jerked primed to run over to him to tell him to…stay. But she desperately tried to beat the impulse into submission. They had already said their goodbye of sorts the night before.

Besides, she knew he wouldn't. He couldn't.

This was the start of their 'space'. She knew it had to be this way…even if it tore her up inside. Sakura knew that if he did look back. If he did give her an eye-crinkle, a little wave, or any sort of whispered words…it would just make things harder than they already were. Sakura forced her eyes to focus on the annoyed woman in front of her just as Tsunade finally turned to her.

Sakura completely missed the dark eye trained on her image before the tiny slit of the door was closed completely.

* * *

**That Night…**

Sakura flopped to her other side irritably, throwing her pink and white covers off her heated body. The summers in Konoha were always muggy, leaving Sakura wishing she had bought that window air conditioning unit she ran across in the market on her way home that day. But alas it was not to be…what with her funds being less than substantial.

Nevertheless that problem would be rectified soon. A steady paycheck was going to be nice.

But Sakura knew that her restlessness was a by product of more than just the weather. She knew where he was. And she had no doubt in her mind that Genma was right beside him. In a way she found herself wising that she was the senbon user in that moment.

And Sakura knew that kind of thinking was another strong indicator that she was falling for him… hard.

* * *

**Across the Village…**

A drunken Genma swayed in his chair beside his equally soused friend at their little table. Unfortunately for the gigolo, there wasn't a woman in the joint that he hadn't previously scorned in some way, shape, or form. Needless to say, his chances of finding a bedfellow for that night were nil. Raising his drink Genma proclaimed loudly, feeling the sharp bite of defeat, after getting slapped in the face by more than one kunoichi, "To hell with women I say!"

Kakashi, glossy eyed, silently raised his drink with the sound of glass clinking following. Unfortunately for Kakashi, since they had just returned from a mission and what with their other friends being currently engaged in their own…he was stuck with Genma for the night. Right now he wasn't complaining. The man hadn't tried his usual interrogation tactics. For that he was thankful. It was way too early to be reminded of a certain kunoichi. Things had really hit home for him the moment Kotetsu had knocked on his door earlier saying the Hokage wanted to see him. He had a feeling what Tsunade was going to tell him and he hadn't been wrong. As of that day, he was no longer part of a team.

Not only had Sakura been taken from the roster, but Naruto and Genma as well. The moment that Naruto had turned in his application for examination to the ANBU recruiting office, he was given the mandatory two week self preparation period. Tsunade had withdrawn him from the team upon being told so. As for Genma, knowing that the team was dissolving had put in an application of his own. He put in to be a jounin examiner to be exact and from his previous qualifications, he was already scheduled to conduct the one happening next month. He had his reasons for doing so.

Mostly it was for the ladies. Everything he did was always for the ladies. He had requested to be put on Kakashi's team in the first place, just so he could get all the ladies they came across that Kakashi was known to forgo.

This new position would do him some good. He would get to meet all the new jounin, and unlike the chuunin he had presided over, these women would be closer to his age. Not only that but being the man in charge of the final rounds…well it gave him much needed face time that would no doubt garner him much appreciated attention from the women in the crowd of onlookers.

Genma leered behind his drink just thinking about. He didn't know why he didn't put in for it a long time ago.

And just like that, Kakashi had found himself in solo status once again. It was something he had been saying he had wanted for years…mostly when the other three had pissed him off…which was quite frequent actually. Pushing those thoughts away Kakashi stared into his drink.

Genma having cooked up a plan –thankfully before getting too drunk- began his cracked idea. He slapped his friends shoulder laughing out, "You know, if you want since-" His lips formed into a scowl here. "I seem to know every frigging woman here" There was another smack to Kakashi's arm. "I can tell you which one's to go for."

Kakashi waved him off with a gloved hand. Heavy glaze in his eye he slurred, "Not interested."

Genma played off a hurt look, frowning. "Come on man." Nudging his shoulder and pointing to the buxom blonde sitting in a booth toward the front he whispered conspiratorially, "See that one?" On reflex Kakashi's dark blurred orb slid to the woman in question. Genma laughed thinking back. "Don't remember her name, but she remembers mine." He snorted darkly. "Or at least she should, she was saying it louder than any woman I've _ever_ heard."

Shaking his head Kakashi tried to stop him. "…Genma."

Instead of heeding the man's warning, Genma hooked his thumb at a redhead to their side. "How about her?" After a few seconds of deep thought he shook his head and changed his mind. "Forget her." He whispered comically shivering, "Stalker."

Kakashi tried again. "…Genma."

The brown haired man flicked his eyes pointedly at the dark haired woman sitting on a stool at the bar a few feet away. "What about her?" With a smack of his lips he commented again. "Normal, that one." He nodded appreciatively adding, "Cooks breakfast in the morning."

Kakashi sighed shaking his head, downing his drink.

Once every woman sitting in the bar had been pointed out and rejected, after many more empty glasses adorned their little round table, Genma finally toed the line.

With Kakashi slumping in his chair next to him on the verge of passing out, Genma just a tad bit less drunk asked, "You're telling me not one of these-" Sarcasm. "-lovely ladies catches you're fancy?" Not so slyly he remarked, "I know." He smirked. "It's because none of them have pink hair or green eyes." The lolling mop of silver next to him turned and Genma found himself on the receiving end of a death glare. But knowing the inebriated man next to him was in no state to dish out murder, he continued. "What would you do if she was suddenly snatched up? Huh?"

Kakashi's response was a straightforward, "She hates you."

Genma crossed his arms smugly, "Not me my friend, some one else."

Kakashi scowled in his general direction…since he was seeing three of him. Trying not to seem like he cared, and trying not to actually feel it, he asked as nonchalantly as a drunken man can, "What do you mean?"

Genma shook his head and put an arm around Kakashi's shoulders…which Kakashi tried to shrug off. Explaining as one would to a child he began, "You see-" Deciding not to use her actual name in an attempt to keep the conversation going, Genma looked to his friend with a raised wise eyebrow. "-this particular kunoichi is young-" A drunken leer broke through. "-and hot." Ignoring Kakashi's warning look he plowed on. "Some day, maybe sometime soon, some guy is gonna-" A hand made a sliding motion here. "-slip on in there and-" The arm went back around Kakashi but this time, too caught up in the man's tale it stayed there. Genma used the other hand not resting on his friends shoulder to sweep in front of them in an _'imagine this'_ type of gesture. "-try to sweep her off her feet. Put the moves on her. You know, the whole I'm interested in everything about you spiel until-" The arm came from around Kakashi then as Genma's hand came together in a loud clap –making more than one head turn toward them. In a dark voice he concluded. "-bam! He gets what he wants and leaves her!" Genma remarked hooking a thumb at himself. "I should know."

Kakashi rolled his eye. Feeling positive in his words he simply said, "She's a smart woman."

Genma shook his head sighing. After taking a deep swig of his drink he remarked just as flatly. "Yeah, but obviously dumb enough to fall for your sorry ass."

Feeling that was his queue to leave, Kakashi wobbly got to his feet, laying down some money, he remarked tonelessly, "It's just a phase." Putting his wallet away saying, more so for himself than to Genma, he added, "She'll get over it."

Before Kakashi could walk away, Genma departed more of his drunken sage like words. Genma, looking into the clear liquid of his drink departed something he had noticed during that last mission to Diamond country.

Sucking on the sharp metal object in his mouth he looked up at his soon to be departing friend. With no leering, or underlying sexual overtones, Kakashi was left with something so thought provoking that he couldn't believe it had come from his friend.

Swirling his drink Genma said, "You and I both know I've been with a lot of women Hatake." The look on his friend's face as he turned to him was as serious as Kakashi had ever seen Genma. "But I've never been looked at the way that girl looks at you." Kakashi turned away then, intent to make his exit with a sarcastic snort of "A phase?" coming from behind him. As Kakashi made his way out into the night a shout of, "You just keep telling yourself that!" filtered to his ear.

* * *

**Almost 2 Weeks Later**

The department of experimental medicine was housed in the bowels of the Konoha hospital. There were many reasons for this. The cement and steel fortified walls that were built some feet underground the facility was a failsafe for hazardous experiments that…might go awry.

When working with combustible ingredients such as methane, octane, and propane. Not to mention infusing said gases with other ingredients such as…chakra, well such precautions were necessary.

The compound of sorts had a myriad of different labs spidering off in all different directions. The complex normally would have taken years to construct, but when shinobi with earth element jutsu were let loose to build… What would have taken years had only taken months. Tsunade had been happy with the process. Even though she had worked with Shizune by her side for many, many years, the Hokage couldn't wait to get the no nonsense woman out of her hair…and away from her sake bottles.

Unfortunately for Izumo and Kotetsu this just meant more work for them…what with having to pick up the slack that the former Hokage assistant left behind and all.

But gases weren't the only things being studied in the off-limits-to-anyone-who-didn't-hold-an-ID-tag research department. Sakura sat at her examination desk, clad in the standard white jumpsuit of every medic-nin, with her right eye peering into her own personal microscope. Unlike Ino who worked at her family flower shop, Sakura wasn't picking and arranging the flowers growing in her underground garden. Actually she had more than just flowers growing under her heated lamps, for Sakura was directly in charge of the atrium in their section.

Her work was truly interesting. She was experimenting with new ingredients from various sources that Tsunade had shipped in just for her study. So far the mungus bark, known only to grow in the Snow country, was showing to have greater healing properties when crushed, mixed with green tea and… stirred with just a little bit of chakra. It didn't necessarily have the greatest taste but its effects on such things as the common cold and even the flu was astronomical. One full cup and the drinker would be healthy as a horse the next day.

This meant great things not only for ninja during a mission but for the common people within her precious village as well. Her work now held far greater rewards than a mere commission that was for sure.

But even though Shizune and the other three medics under her never forced her have to silence them with her fists, pry them apart from fighting or reprimand them for reading instead of doing work…she still found she missed the guys. Yes… even Genma.

As Sakura wrote down her findings on the nectar of the fulcra plant, she had just received from Grass country that day, into the data collection journal she was required to keep, she couldn't help but find her self missing a certain someone. She missed his lackadaisical ways and that stupid mask. She missed his little eye-creases and his waved greetings. She missed his wild silvery hair and his dry humor.

It had been almost two weeks since the last time she had seen him.

If she wanted to, she knew where to find him: the usual watering hole, his apartment, certain rooftops she knew he liked to frequent and of course the monument. But she had resisted the urge to seek him out. It was hard, but she had done it.

When she found herself alone like this, her team of three off at lunch, thoughts of that certain someone always crept up on her. It wasn't just the reminder of what happened on that mountain, it was everything. From the times he had been her sensei to the first missions as her leader, to that goodbye kiss by the fire. No matter how hard she tried, the feelings she harbored for Kakashi were still there.

If anything they were getting stronger.

Sakura sighed, closing the large journal. When was it ever going to get easier?

* * *

**A few hours later… **

The sun beat down on a certain silvery shock of hair, warming the jounin uniform clad body beneath it like a warm blanket. Kakashi, small orange paperback in hand, sat reading on a familiar many storied apartment building…that wasn't his own. The apartment underneath him with the little balcony happened to belong to a certain Hokage-wanna-be.

It wasn't like Kakashi had come here on purpose. It had nothing to do with the fact that Naruto's week long examination started tomorrow. No. He just happened to come across this particular spot and felt like sitting down for a little light reading. Yeah…

Over the two week span, he hadn't laid eyes on a certain pink haired kunoichi since that day in the Hokage office. And after pondering on what Genma had yelled at him the last time they had frequented the pub together, he was determined to keep that record going.

But even though he hadn't seen her, he had run into Naruto a few days ago. Actually the overjoyed blonde had hunted him down, ruining his solitude lying in his favorite tree by the training grounds. Naruto, obviously wanting to let everyone know, had told him when his examination would start…and relayed information about how Sakura's new job was going as well.

Kakashi was glad. But he hadn't been worried. He had told her the truth when he said he knew she'd do well.

As for Genma and himself- Well, the senbon user was doing the same thing that he was. Solo missions. At least until the jounin test came along. But unlike Genma, Kakashi was told that he would occasionally be babysitting the younger crowd here and there by Tsunade's request.

He had returned from a mission to Rock country just yesterday thankfully by himself. Kakashi had relished in the feel of being on his own then, not having to tell Naruto to slow down, to keep his anger in check or to pay attention. He didn't have to listen to Genma flirt with every half decent woman they came across, bicker with Naruto over the littlest of things, or make lewd comments about a certain someone. As for the pink haired kunoichi… he didn't have to push away those feelings of want or desire that her presence seemed to invoke inside him.

And yet, as he had taken down a syndicate of thugs disturbing the citizens of a small village…he found that he missed them all. He missed Naruto's laughter, Genma's smartass remarks, and Sakura's… company. He'd be lying if he said he didn't miss her the most…even though he knew he shouldn't. But this was the way things were meant to be. He still saw Genma whenever he went to the bar for a drink of course. But he knew that would never change.

He also knew that Naruto would flag him down in the village since…he already had so once. Kakashi sighed reading one of his favorite passages, knowing that he would more than likely check up on the younger man every now and then at the ANBU HQ…just to make sure that he hadn't gotten himself killed or anything. And as for Sakura- Well, given time he knew he would do the same for her.

This… whatever it was he was feeling would go away, it would fade with time. He knew that. Time was all he seemed to have these days. He had too much of it and not enough things to do to fill it. But wasn't that always his life, just sitting, training and reading waiting for another mission, another assignment to give him direction in life? Then, why did things feel so…empty now?

Kakashi pushed those thoughts away as he continued to read about Junko and his red haired buxom opponent facing off in a darkly lit forest setting.

That is until a loud voiced blonde shouted up to him from below. Naruto waved enthusiastically up to his former team leader, with a huge smile on his face. "Kakashi-sensei! Kakashi-sensei!" High-pitched laughter followed with a skeptical, "Your not worried about me are you?" following after.

Kakashi smiled down to the younger shinobi standing in the street, putting away his book. Naruto looked like his usual 120 percent as he watched the still smiling blonde, sandals chakra-stained, walking up the side of the building toward him.

Kakashi gazed down the side of the building at him. Amusement lacing his voice, he replied, "No. Should I?"

Naruto huffed, arms crossed, looking highly miffed that Kakashi thought him so soft. "Pft. Please." He beat his orange and black clad chest easily walking over the edge of the roof making Kakashi shake his head. "Nothing keeps me down!"

Kakashi stood, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Knowing all too well how nothing could keep the loud mouth down for long replied apathetically, "Yes, I know."

Blue eyes quirked then in an expression of puzzlement. "What'cha doing here Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi nodded his head once reminding the blonde of their equality. "'Kakashi'" He reminded the blonde. "You haven't been my student in years Naruto. No need to add the sensei anymore." He gave him a pointed look with his dark eye then. "I thought Sakura told you that on our last mission together."

Naruto scratched his head thinking back. Then he beamed, "Oh yeah." Looking sheepish he replied, "Sorry. Slipped my mind." The younger man shrugged his shoulders. "You know, lots been happening since then and all."

Kakashi waved him off but was interrupted by the blonde. Naruto turned a shrewd eye upon the taller man in front of him. "Neh, Kakashi. You never answered." Crossing his arms he asked, "What are you doing sitting on my roof?"

The man in question put a hand up, shielding his dark orb as he feigned looking around in question. "Oh, is it now? I wasn't aware." He gave Naruto an innocent eye-crease and a shrug. "Getting old you know. Forgetfulness and all that." Kakashi turned and waved over his shoulder as he got ready to jump to another rooftop, finishing with a, "I'll see you in a week."

He wasn't worried about Naruto. The younger shinobi had proven time and time again that he could handle himself.

* * *

**6 days later…**

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask you." There was a pause as the blonde kunoichi, sitting next to Sakura on the little street side bench, savored a few licks of her vanilla ice-cream cone. After wiping her mouth with a napkin Ino asked, "How's the new work going?"

Sakura, sweating from the afternoon heat, smiled behind her chocolate soft serve. Contently she replied, watching a mother and her daughter pass by, "Great!" Then missing the same exuburence she added, "Just tiring. It's relentless work, but great all the same."

It was true. Today just happened to be her first day off since she started, but she wasn't complaining. She loved her new job. The air-conditioning in the lab was a plus. She just hoped they managed to scramble some space heaters down there before winter came rolling around; wearing mittens while trying to work with specimens was probably going to be a tad bit hard.

Ino scowled as she dabbed at the melted drops that had fallen onto her lap. Dabbing and glaring at the stray dog slowly coming near and eyeing her delicious treat she remarked, "Well that's good to hear. At least one of us enjoys their job."

Sakura took a bite out of her cone and smirked. With chocolate covered lips she jibbed, "What? I thought you liked working at the flower shop." After wiping her own mouth she asked, "Wasn't it you who said the juiciest gossip in the village was told there?"

Ino puffed out her ample chest proudly. Pumping her cone in the air, reminding Sakura of the blonde man she had said good luck to a few days ago, Ino gave an arrogant, "Damn right!" in return.

Then her arrogance disappeared leaving behind a more slumped posture, "I just wish mom and dad had opened a pool or something instead." Her voice turned into a high pitched whine. "I mean it's so flipping hot!" Shoulders slumping licking her cone like a spoiled child she said perturbed, "Stupid flowers get more air than I do…"

Sakura nodded her head feeling her pain. Her apartment was like an oven; ironically she found being outside was a few degrees cooler. That's why she had lured Ino out of her shop with promises of an ice-cold treat in return. Actually, it hadn't taken much prodding on Sakura's side. Ino had almost jumped at the chance to close up shop for a while. The woman had left with the reasoning that it was a little past lunch time anyway.

Sakura, feeling relived that she didn't have to sport the long shirt and vest anymore, clad in her casual black shorts and red sleeveless shirt, unconsciously flicked her eyes from each rooftop around them. Ino seemed to notice this as she finished off her treat.

Nosily she asked, "Who ya looking for?"

Sakura, forcing herself to stop and instead study the shop of porcelain dolls across from them, went on the defensive. "Who says I'm looking for someone?"

Ino laughed at her friends attempt to lie to her. Having been friends for years, the woman knew when the other was trying to tell a fib. Ino smirked. "I do." After throwing away her sticky napkins in the can beside her she turned to Sakura evil grin forming on her lips. Tapping a finger to her chin feigning thought she wondered aloud, "Hm, I wonder what happened between you and that mystery guy you told me about last time." A blonde brow rose as she crossed her arms smugly. "He didn't kick you to the curb did he?"

Sakura's happy mood quickly disappeared. Looking away she replied sadly, "Can't be kicked to the curb… when nothing was ever started."

Ino snorted, playfully knocking her knee against Sakura's. "You mean on his part or yours?"

Sakura looked up to the sky saying flatly, "I don't want to talk about it."

Ino, ignoring her friend's remark, prodded smiling, "_I_ think you do." With a self-important look she poked Sakura's shoulder. "Otherwise we wouldn't be sitting here."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "My apartment feels like it's on fire."

Ino replied with a sarcastic, "So's your little black shorts." Poking her again, earning herself a scowl, Ino urged her on. "Stop lying. Tell me what's wrong."

Sakura sighed, knowing the woman wouldn't let up now. Besides, she knew it wasn't healthy to keep things pent up inside. Ino had helped her once…sort of. Maybe she could help her again?

After passing her trash to Ino to be thrown away, she asked resignedly, "Why do I always fall for the wrong sort?"

Catching on, Ino nodded wisely, "Ah, so he's one of _them_." After a few 'Tsk's' she sighed. "I thought you were smarter than that Forehead."

Sakura slumped in her seat watching a cart rolling by. Dejectedly she replied with a "A girl can't help who she falls in love with."

Ino turned to her surprised with both brows raised, "I thought we just established a few weeks ago that you liked him." Incredulously she asked, "_Now_ you're saying you think you might love him!"

Head rolling to rest on the back side of the bench Sakura grumbled, "Not think. Know."

"But you hardly know him!"

Sakura snorted darkly in her reclined position. "I've _known_ him almost half my life."

Ino, recalling their bar conversation, put up her hands in a 'halt' motion. "Wait, wait…" Concentrating hard she asked, "Older jounin, some scars and pale that you just figured out was handsome right?"

Sakura was surprised that her friend, who was prone to selective hearing, remembered what she had said. They had shared many a conversation where the blonde was known to nod and throw out a 'Mm' all the while thinking up a grocery list or recalling some man's number in her head. Then again, Sakura figured she was talking about a man and Ino's ears always seemed to be open on that subject.

Sakura fanned herself with her hand in her slouched position feeling like a cooking egg. Knowing her friend was too dense to figure out exactly who that described she nodded and said, "Yeah, that's the one."

Ino quirking a brow asked, "It isn't that Genma character is it?" Ino scowled, remembering being spurned by the man. "I mean yeah he's hot, but that man has some serious issues."

Sakura gave her patented 'ew' face here. "I'd rather stab my self with a kunai thanks."

She knew Ino was still reeling over being rejected by the gigolo. Really, Sakura had been surprised as well until she later found out why. Apparently Asuma wasn't keen on the idea of Genma getting friendly with his former gennin. But she knew the cigarette smoking man hadn't done so out of the kindness of his heart. She was pretty damn sure he had only threatened Genma so as not to have Ino crying on his shoulder later, begging him to have a little 'talk' with the senbon user for dropping her like every other woman he had slept with.

Ino, relieved knowing Shuranui Genma wasn't the man she was in love with asked, "So do you know if he loves you too?"

Sakura grimaced. "I know he likes me."

Ino sighed. "Well that's something I guess" Darkly she asked, "So what is it this time, another one hell-bent on killing his brother?"

No longer feeling the sting of the reminder, Sakura merely nodded in the negative. "Duty this time."

Ino nodding in understanding, "Ah. Like that Hyuuga Neji." Ino poked her shoulder. "It's not Neji is it?"

Sakura shook her head laughing. "No Pig."

Ino merely shrugged and fell back against the bench mimicking her slouching counterpart, wiping the sweat from her brow. After a small comfortable silence of basking in the heat wave Ino snorted. "Duty huh?" Another snort. "Just sounds like he's scared to me."

Sakura turned her head to regard her friend. Puzzled she asked, "How'd you mean?"

Waving an airy hand Ino began her explanation. "It's a copout. We're all dedicated to being a shinobi of the leaf you know. But you don't see me saying-" Ino went into her overdramatic mode. "Oh no! I simply cannot fall in love and live a happy life because-" Sakura laughed as her fingers came up in quotations here. "A ninja is bound to their duty and shouldn't show emotion." Shaking her head at her friend, Ino asked, "Don't you think the birthing ward would have closed down a long time ago? I mean, there wouldn't be little ninja families with little ninja brats running around if every shinobi truly felt that way right?"

Sakura poked Ino back in the shoulder stating. "Duty isn't the same thing as emotion." Thinking back to the way he held her and the look in his eye across that fire she added, "Emotion isn't the problem here. Not any more."

Ino huffed exasperated. "It's the same principle Forehead." She gave her a pointed, "We're all just human beings," before pushing up from the bench. Stretching she gave her friend one final nugget of wisdom before heading back to the flowered filled oven that was the Yamanaka shop.

"Don't forget we're kunoichi Sakura." With a smirk, hands on her hips Ino finished proudly, "And we Kunoichi don't just let a man walk away from us." She gave her an almost comical thumbs-up and a loud, "And don't you forget that!" before waving goodbye and making her way across the street to her store.

Sakura shook her head at her friend's carefree attitude, waving her own goodbye before kicking up her heels on the spot Ino had just vacated. As she laid there baking in the sun, she sorely wished she had her friend's optimism. Sakura was still trying to get over the fact that those insightful words of wisdom had actually come out of the blonde's mouth. Then again, as she continued to lay there mulling things over, she had to admit they _were _very valid points.

Duty didn't necessarily mean that one had to conduct living a life in solitude. If it were so then like Ino had said, there would be no ninja babies or shinobi marriages. Then Sakura remembered that conversation that she and Kakashi had shared that night on the Hokage Mountain. Hadn't they talked about the reasons why most shinobi chose to live their lives to the fullest? Wasn't it because life was a precious commodity that could be taken away in the blink of an eye? Sakura thought back to the tragic end of her first love. Hadn't their chance at happiness been ripped apart in an _essence_ because of procrastination?

Sakura, sitting up, desperately not wanting what happened with Sasuke happen to her and Kakashi, said to no one in particular, "Seize the day…"

Yes, she understood where Kakashi was coming from, but Ino was right. She was a kunoichi and kunoichi didn't just let a man walk away.

Looking through the little flower filled window at the blonde haggling with a customer inside, Sakura smiled gratefully standing up from the bench quietly saying, "Thank you Pig."

**

* * *

**

TBC


	9. Help In the Unlikeliest of Places

**Help In the Unlikeliest of Places**

**C(+...+)C**

Unfortunately, for Sakura, dejectedly walking toward the women's baths, _'seizing the day'_ would have to wait for another time. Right after coming to the conclusion on the bench earlier that Kakashi had another thing coming if he thought she was going to let him slip away, Sakura had marched herself directly to his apartment door. Unfortunately, after a good three minute pounding… just to be sure that he wasn't in there pointedly ignoring her; it became obvious that Kakashi wasn't home.

Her courage had dwindled then, but not by much. But after a thorough check of certain trees, rooftops, training grounds and dropping casual questions here and there, it became apparent that he either didn't want to be disturbed or was out of the village. And at this point Sakura wasn't sure which.

Sakura went about peeling off her sweat soaked clothes in the changing room outside the actual bath area. Apparently she wasn't the only one with the idea. There were many voices on the other side of the sliding door. One seemed to be louder than the others, making Sakura smirk with her good fortune. She knew that boisterous laugher belonged to a woman who enjoyed sharing tales of her newest conquests.

Mitarashi Anko was enjoying a soak, a woman who could probably shed some light on Sakura's dilemma.

The kunoichi hurriedly wrapped a towel around herself and her hair. The moment she slid the rice-papered door open she noticed that she recognized more than just the Forest of Death chuunin examiner. It seemed Hinata's former sensei was soaking beside her. Not only that, but apparently they recognized her as well.

Stopping in mid sentence, the naked dark haired woman turned to the ruby-eyed equally naked kunoichi next to her. "Hey Kurenai, look who it is." Hooking a thumb over her shoulder, Anko gave a feral grin, pointy teeth and all. Leering she snickered, "It's Hatake's little Pinky."

After giving a smile to the younger woman slipping into the water across from them, Kurenai whispered warningly out of the side of her mouth, "…Anko."

Ignoring her long time friend, the snake using kunoichi pointed her finger at Sakura. "You." The finger then pointed at the empty space on her other side. "Over here-" Her dark eyes flashed. _"-now_."

Normally Sakura wasn't one to blindly follow orders given outside of a mission or her work, but as she made her way over to the space specified with a returning smile to the Yuuhi woman, Sakura had her reasons. For one, she needed to know where Kakashi was. And for another, Sakura, like most sane people, was…slightly weary of the fanged woman. Like with Yuuhi Kurenai, Sakura wasn't exactly on a personal level with Anko. And it was known that if Anko didn't know a person she was more than likely to kill that individual than talk to them…unless said individual could provide her with some form of amusement.

Needless to say, Sakura took up her spot with more than just a little trepidation.

Kurenai continued to try to dissuade her meddlesome friend. "Anko, I really don't think Hatake would want you to-"

Kurenai found herself looking into a blank faced Anko flatly saying, "I don't care." Turning back to the Sakura, who was trying not to appear as if she were dismally comparing measurements, Anko poked her in the shoulder with a sharp red nail. Getting right to the point, trading her usual leer for a tone clearly wanting answers she asked, "You wanting a piece of ol' one-eye or not?"

Kurenai sighed at her friend's lack of tact, but feeling she ought to be used to such situations by now. Sakura wide-eyed, thrown for a loop that Kakashi's friends obviously were aware of the happenings between them, managed to get out a dazed, "Excuse me?"

Anko sucked her teeth, crossing her arms, not one known to hold much for patience. In a tone as if speaking to a person holding largely less faculties then her own she stated slowly, "Yes or no cherry blossom." A dark brow rose as she pursed her lips. "It's not that hard."

Kurenai spoke over the woman's shoulder with something close to compassion. "Just answer her question Sakura. It's easier that way." Shaking her head she added tiredly, "Trust me on this."

Sakura, not about to tell something so personal without at least having some questions of her own answered, crossed her arms calmly. Turning this into a little business deal of sorts she started, saying craftily, "I'll tell you if you tell me something in return."

Anko, already impatient and never one to have anything she wouldn't willingly talk about freely, waved her hand in a '_come on_' way. "Fine, fine. Ask away little girl."

With some hesitation Sakura asked the annoyed woman, "…Why do you want to know?"

Anko didn't hesitate for a moment. With a loud snort, Kurenai rolling her eyes behind her in a _'here we go'_ way, Anko began her explanation. "I don't know if you've noticed or not, but Hatake's had a hard-on for you for months now since our piece of shit friend tainted his brain on some mission they had together." With a blasé look, picking at her nails, she added, "Shurunai told us."

Sakura was dumbstruck to say the least. She found her self inwardly asking, _'What?'_

The words _'months now'_ rang in her ears. Then flashes of past memories and feelings swept over her. Things like: coming back from a certain mission finding Genma mysteriously bandaged saying he '_fell down some stairs'_, the mysterious feeling of eyes constantly on her during missions or…anytime Kakashi was around, Genma's previous comment to Naruto of '_You don't have what it takes to soften Kakashi's resolve…or should I say harden?'_, And finally Kakashi's behavior that night on the Hokage Mountain with her. It all made sense now. Sakura couldn't believe she hadn't put two and two together beforehand. But then again, who in their right mind would have thought that _she_ would've ever caught _his_ eye?

As Sakura thought about it some more, with her mouth resembling that of a frog catching flies, it made sense that his attraction to her was a byproduct of some third-party involvement. She felt like she should have known that he wouldn't have woken up one morning and said to himself, "E_ven though I've been around her for years, used to teach her, and am her leader… Hey, I think I like her!" _

Still in a daze of shocked comprehension, Sakura mumbled out in wondrous tones, "…Oh my god."

Kurenai finally giving in, pursed her lips and nodded. "It's true." Looking past her friend, the genjutsu master explained. "Look, Anko here just wants to put a stop to Kakashi's-"

Anko finished the woman's sentence with a loud irritated, "Goddamn moping!" hitting a fist into the water at her side, splashing liquid onto all three of them and some unfortunate souls unlucky enough to be in the same vicinity. After dipping herself in the water and slicking her dark hair back, Anko looked pointedly at Sakura. With water dripping from her lashes, in a no-nonsense tone she said, "So you either do or you don't." Sakura was on the receiving end of another poke as Anko finished with narrowed eyes. "Which one is it Pinky?"

Sakura turned and faced the chest high wall behind them picking at the marbled tiled floor. Sighing, not wanting to be forced to tell the actual truth, she replied shaking her head, "I don't like Kakashi like that."

There was more splashing of water with a heated angry "Damn it!" piercing the air from the disappointed older woman beside her.

But then Sakura realized something. She decided that she might as well pluck up the courage right now and say the truth. If she was going to be serious about wanting to be with her former leader than she knew this was the first step. She couldn't be afraid anymore. A kunoichi in battle was never afraid. She knew a person had to have courage to get what they want. And she wanted nothing more than to be with Kakashi, other people's opinions be damned. Besides, it looked like at least as if Anko was on her side…however consoling that was. Turning to the pissed off woman beside her still splashing water, Sakura, stilling Anko's thrashing hands with her own, said with conviction, "I love him."

Anko, too surprised to initiate amputating Sakura's hands for the breach of her personal space, simply, wide-eyed got out a stunned, "Oh, well that's-" before smirking, adding a snorted, "- _different_," with amusement.

Kurenai was busy chewing on her lip grinning happily on Anko's other side. This was juicy gossip too good to be true to her. She knew no one was going to believe this, she hardly did herself. She, Anko, and Gai had a feeling that the younger kunoichi might have been harboring some kind of attraction to their silver haired friend after watching her hurriedly exiting the bar that one night, but not one of them had seen this coming!

But this was good news indeed. They'd all been saying for years how Kakashi needed a woman to keep him grounded and not so…tight-assed. But the major hurdle was always the same. Kakashi was never one to let anyone get close to him, except for a few select friends…and his two remaining former students. Kurenai knew the man had a soft spot for both his two former teammates. She also knew that because of the uncaring facade that he always kept up, any 'paternal' emotions that some sensei formed with their gennin had never arisen. She knew that the young woman and the kyuubi container had become something close to friends with Kakashi, but not to the extent that herself and the others had of course. So in Kurenai's mind, she adamantly asked, _'So, why not take the next step Kakashi?' _

Kurenai, being the smart woman that she was, could also see where the younger woman's attraction stemmed from. She, like half the village, knew what type of man Sakura was known to gravitate toward. All one needed to do was think back to the Uchiha she had once proclaimed she loved at the drop of a dime. It didn't take a genius to see the similarities between the two; she knew it wasn't just the sharingan.

In that moment Kurenai believed that Genma's perverted influence had definitely turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Pumping a fist in the air comically, Anko, apparently sharing her friend's enthusiasm, loudly proclaimed, "That's great!"

Sakura's smile, from the obvious blessing being given to her from two of Kakashi's close friends, fell. Dejectedly, she shook her soaked locks sighing, "No, it's not."

Anko's toothy grin fell. "Eh?" Sakura received another poke. "Why not?"

Kurenai, smartly guessing what the fool had done, asked, "Did he give you the whole _'I'm a ninja first and a man second'_ spiel?"

Sakura sighed and swished some water around with a hand, giving her a somewhat vague, "More or less."

Anko poked Sakura in the shoulder rather hard, laughing out, "Ha! Don't you worry about that girlie!" Sakura tried not to shiver as the woman put a well toned arm around her bare slender shoulders. Winking, Anko added mischievously, "Don't worry kid, you've come to the right place."

Now, Sakura wasn't quite sure about having another naked woman so close to her…especially Mitarashi Anko, but she did know that she could probably use their help. These two women where experienced in …life in many ways that she wasn't. Sakura inwardly shrugged thinking, _'What could it hurt?'_

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

**That Night…**

Konohamaru, bored, poked at the fire taking his turn at watch. His fearless leader for this particular mission slept a few spaces away from his two other teammates, Moegi and Udon. He had been ecstatic to learn that his _'big brother's'_ former sensei and team leader was taking Ebisu's place for this mission since Kami had smiled down upon him and his friends, giving the uptight _Mr. Four-eyes_ the flu.

But his elation was quickly nullified after spending the first four silent hours with the all famous Copy-nin. Throughout the five day mission, their esteemed leader had hardly said more than two words outside of instructions pertaining to their duty as bodyguards for a local lord wanting to hold a celebration of sorts at his large and gaudy manor. Konohamaru didn't know what was worse, the utter silence or the fact that he was actually missing Ebisu.

Either way, he couldn't wait until their return to the village tomorrow. Naruto's examination was to come to an end that day. He couldn't wait to see if his Nii-chan had actually made it. Then again, Konohamaru argued smirking, _'When's boss ever failed at something?'_

His smirk turned to a scowl as he poked at the dying embers a little harder. The words in his head turned slightly irked here. _'Except when he got us lost on that hiking trip… And that one time he tried to get me and Udon into the women's' baths. And that other time he almost got the three of us killed, peeping on that scary pink haired lady he likes. What's her name again?'_

"…Sakura."

Konohamaru nodded his head scowling, remembering the beating she had given them. "Yeah, that's it." Then his scowl fell. "Wait…"

The grandson of the -passed but not forgotten- Third turned to the source of that particular moan. His young dark eyes took in the sight of his team leader rolling over in his sleep, smacking his lips behind his mask.

Raising dark brows high to the sky, the 17 year old said awed, "…No way."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

**Back in Konoha…**

Pink painted toes kicked pink colored sheet from a heated body. Sakura couldn't wait until she received her next paycheck. Oh, that beige air conditioner she'd been eyeing had her name written all over it!

Sakura flopped onto her stomach trying to will her body to become ten degrees cooler. During the process, she thought over what the two older Kunoichi had helped to cook up earlier that day. It was a plan that would leave her with either one of two outcomes and she sorely hoped for the one more so than the other. Regardless, Sakura knew carrying out the plan meant having to do something that required courage and bravery…even more so than any mission she had ever conducted.

But Sakura was more than willing to do so, for the reward was far greater than anything even her new occupation could afford. Hatake Kakashi. And what was better than that? Sakura couldn't think of anything. That was for sure.

Sakura forced herself to sleep, knowing that she had a full day ahead of her. There was a celebration the next day to orchestrate after all. Sakura smiled into her pillow thinking, _'I haven't forgotten about you Naruto. Don't you worry.'_

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

**Early Afternoon the Next Day…**

"Uzumaki Naruto's room please."

The bored middle-aged woman at the Konoha reception desk looked up from her magazine to find a masked silver haired man slouching before her. After looking through the list of occupants housed in the building, her finger slid to the name in question. With a smile she kindly read, "Room 103." Looking him over now…not unlike a hungry person sizing up a nice side of prime beef, she added quirking an eyebrow. "Would you like me to show you the way?" The blonde woman gave a toothy grin, "I don't mind."

Kakashi bowed slightly saying, "Thank you, but no."

The older woman shrugged, going back to her magazine brushing him off. "Suit yourself."

Kakashi made his way to the nearby stairwell, heading to the floor above. Upon handing in his mission report, Tsunade-sama had given him the lowdown on Naruto's examination. There had been good news and bad news unfortunately. The good news was that the younger shinobi had passed with flying colors. The bad news was that in doing so the outgoing blonde had earned himself a spot in the recovering ward. But Kakashi wasn't worried. No one healed faster than Uzumaki Naruto that was for sure.

Upon reaching the door labeled _'2nd Floor'_, Kakashi pushed his way through and stepped out into the brightly lit corridor. The moment that he had, the familiar voice of the young man he had come to see echoed down to his position.

"-should've seen it!"

Kakashi smiled behind his mask, it being more than evident that Naruto was indeed still in his usual high spirited status. But hearing the next voice made his smile falter.

There was a shocked familiar voice yelling, "Naruto, you destroyed the entire compound!"

Kakashi, even under duress, shook his head at the young man's brashness. He rolled his eye as he heard the obviously injured shinobi reply with a timid, "Yeah…but everyone got out ok."

He found himself smiling as he heard the woman's tone turn not to one of anger, but to one of _'I should have known'_ as she sighed out, "Oh, Naruto…"

As Kakashi finally neared the door, one look through the small square of class told him his assumption had been correct. Naruto had a guest of the female persuasion. Sakura had come calling as well. Immediate thoughts of coming back at a later time were steadily surfacing as his hand paused in mid-motion of grabbing the door handle.

But the moment before he turned to leave, Naruto looked over Sakura's shoulder, beamed, and then waved.

Sakura turned as her friend suddenly bounced in his hospital bed waving his bandaged arms and hands like a lunatic. "Kakashi-sensei! Kakashi-sensei! I made it, Kakashi-sensei!"

Sakura turned and watched the man that had been plaguing her heart and mind, a man she hadn't seen in three weeks wave behind the glass and then walk through the door. A smile graced her surprised features, one that she couldn't hold back even if she had tried. In that moment she knew the old saying was true. Absence really did make the heart grow fonder. She had missed him, so much so that the impulse to reach out to Kakashi was so great that she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from doing just that.

Hands in his pockets, Kakashi moved to lean against the wall to the side, nodding his hello to the blonde. Sakura watched with a heavily beating heart as he did the same to her. Her heart skipped a beat as his eye rested on her image, but her elation dropped significantly as he quickly turned his attention back to Naruto.

Flatly Kakashi asked, "What's this I hear about destroying a compound?"

Naruto nervously scratched the back of his head…his bandaged appendage doing more of a rub than a scratch actually. In guilty tones he explained looking off to the side, "I uh… did that thing you guys always tell me not to."

Sakura shook her head as Kakashi asked with a slight chuckle, "You mean you lost your head?"

Naruto sighed out a, "…Yeah," before perking back up to his usual self, proclaiming loudly, "But it worked!"

Sakura poked the leg hidden under the white sheet, asking astutely, "But at what cost?"

Naruto hung his head, unrestrained blonde hair covering his features, pouting. "Sakura-chan…"

Sakura flicked him on the top of the head, making Naruto look back up smiling as he caught her own. Sakura turned her attention to Kakashi then, forcing her eyes to remain on his. Compelling her words to come off as casual as they were meant to be, Sakura patted Naruto's leg beside her saying, "There's going to be a celebration in-" She rolled her eyes at her grinning friend. "-the idiot's honor tonight."

Kakashi raised a brow, eyeing Naruto's many bandages. "Is that wise-." He nodded at the blonde "-given his condition?"

Sakura smacked the leg under her hand smirking, earning a howl of pain in return. "This is Naruto we're talking about remember?"

Kakashi pursed his lips behind his mask, nodding thoughtfully. "Point taken."

Rolling her eyes at the pouting blonde, she commented, "Anyway-" Emerald eyes flicked to Kakashi's one, smiling, scrunching her nose in a playful way. "You're invited."

Naruto jabbed a bandaged finger at the man leaning against the wall, shouting, "No reading tonight Kakashi-sensei!" Blue eyes narrowed behind the accusing finger adding forebodingly, "You'd better come out."

Pushing off from the wall Kakashi gave them an indistinct, "I'll think about it."

There was a grumbled, "…Think nothing," as the injured of the three crossed his arms and stuck out his bottom lip.

Sakura smirked adding her own two cents. Eyeing the silver haired man with mirth in her emerald eyes, she laughed out, "Don't make him start with the puppy eyes Kakashi. You know its next."

Sakura almost melted, being on the receiving end of one of Kakashi's famous eye-creases.

Bending his head in defeat, Kakashi sighed out a, _"maybe,_" in return, before waving, adding a "_Nice job_" over his shoulder as he headed out the door.

Naruto beamed as Sakura smirked, thinking that a _'maybe'_ was a far better answer than a _'no'_. Not wanting to let the man out of her sight just yet, Sakura quickly scrambled off her stool going after him, giving Naruto a hurried goodbye of "_See you tonight_".

Naruto waved unseen to the woman quickly departing the room.

Sakura caught up with her easy strolling target. Keeping things light, she mimicked his pace, slouch, and hand positions exactly. After a silent minute of heading down the stairs, Sakura mimicked turning a page of the imaginary little book she was holding beside the quiet shinobi. Finally, Kakashi turned a narrowed eye upon her, apathetically inquiring, "Something I can do for you Sakura?"

Sakura continued the lethargic perusal of her pretend paperback for a moment before giving him an answer, eyes still on its made-up pages. In an obvious façade of boredom she replied with an effortless, "Nope."

They lapsed into comfortable silence, as they passed the reception desk. The lax medic on duty looked up from behind her _'Kunoichi Monthly'_, regarding the masked man from before with a simple nod. Her dark eyes turned to the young woman at his side, smiling and waving. "Sakura-chan, how's your friend doing?" Her smile turned to a scowl as she remembered chasing him back to his room earlier. "He hasn't tried to get out of his bed again has he?"

Sakura waved back over her imaginary book. With a smile of her own she said, "No. And he won't." Smirking, thinking back to the death threat she had laid upon him, she said reassuringly, "You can trust that Yome-san."

'_Book'_ in one hand, pocket around the other, Sakura hurried ahead and pushed the glass doors open with her back, mimicking what Kakashi was known to do on several occasions. The receptionist laughed, as Kakashi seemingly ignored the younger kunoichi's behavior, passing by with ease.

Sakura winked at the kind receptionist, who just laughed again and waved her off, before heading to the outside.

She inwardly smirked, seeing as how the man who had kept away from her for so long was patiently waiting on the top of the steps now. He was masking this under the guise of scrutinizing his pages closely, but she knew better. He had never waited for any of them before, usually disappearing in a cloud of smoke the moment he could get away from them. She was half surprised he hadn't 'poofed' away during her short conversation with Yome. Her inward smirk grew even wider as she realized the implications. Kakashi obviously missed her as well.

Feeling pretty good about herself, what with knowing that little tidbit, Sakura, still reading her imaginary book, came up beside him. Eyes scanning imaginary lines, she said in speculative tones, "Hm, Junko seems the dense type, you know?" Sakura ignored the narrowed dark eye that slid to her image. Pointing to a spot on her palm or a place in her so called _'book'_ she began, "See here? The beautiful enemy kunoichi professed her undying devotion to him during their fight."

She sighed in an over-dramatized fashion, shaking her head. "But he just ignored her words and continued their battle." Sakura made a play of closing the make-believe paperback, making another show of putting it away in her hip-pouch. Afterwards with Kakashi still looking at her, puzzled, out of the corner of his eye behind his own book, she crossed her arms, nodding her head once. In a dreamy voice, eyes in a fake glazed state, looking out over the crowded street, she sighed out, "They could have had something wonderful."

Ignoring Kakashi's raised eyebrow, Sakura turned to him then. Before he even knew what was happening, Sakura, cheery smile in place, waved once saying happily, "See ya tonight Kakashi!" before disappearing in a shower of pink petals.

Kakashi quirked a brow confused for more than one reason.

Usually it was himself who disappeared in such a way. And what exactly had she meant by those cryptic thoughts from that imaginary book of hers? But most importantly Kakashi asked himself, '_How did she know Junko's name?'_

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sakura smirked evilly as she turned the key in her door. She wasn't too worried about Kakashi not showing up that night. She was relatively sure that part was already covered. Emerald eyes lingered to the little black dress hanging in her closet then. It was a little black dress that most women owned, a dark piece of silky fabric that clung to all the right places and showed off more than it should. Of course Sakura was never one to actually have any such thing hanging in her own. Not being the type to have ever bought anything so revealing nor one to go out and buy something she'd definitely never wear again, Sakura had simply…borrowed one from Ino.

She had of course lied about her intentions, saying she was tired of pining over her mystery man, wanting to find some 'action' that night. Ino had of course become the bestfriend that she was known to be sometimes, hip-checking her out of the way and finding her the perfect ensemble in two seconds flat. Of course Ino's idea of perfect was far off the mark of what Sakura was looking for. She had to be daring that night but her conservative side had screamed…not too daring.

Sakura was never the type of woman at ease in her own skin like her friend; even now she still had reservations about her body. But she had made compromises and found something suitable and to her liking, hence the little black dress. It was tasteful, yet provocative, silky, yet slightly see-through in the right light. But the most important thing about it was, once she had slipped it on…even before looking in the mirror…she felt beautiful and bold. It was a mindset that was a prerequisite for the night to come.

Anko had been uncharacteristically generous and offered to lend the _'in need'_ kunoichi one of her own…but Sakura had delicately declined…the moment it was suggested. Ino's dodgy tastes were bad enough. Sakura had shuddered to think what appalling washrag the older woman would have produced. Images of leather and netting had come to mind. Sakura wanted something that said, _"Come here big boy"_ not _"You may call me 'Mistress' slave!"_

Inner Sakura snickered at the comparison as Outer Sakura went to start her bath. She had a few hours of primping to do; actually, it was more like a few hours to soak in the bath, psyching herself up for what she needed to do.

Her two 'seduction' coaches had told her to treat this as she would a mission of the same sort. First, she was to get inside his head, figure out his likes and dislikes. What interested him and so forth. Sakura felt some reassurance that she could already sign off that part of her imaginary checklist. The rest would come that night.

Inner Sakura pumped a fist sounding remarkably like a recovering shinobi she knew, _'He's not gonna know what hit him!'_

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Ten bucks says he doesn't even look at her."

"Remind me again why we're doing this?"

Asuma rolled his eyes, ever-present cigarette in place. "A friend in need and all that." Genma shot him a look, making him sigh. In gloomy tones, the bearded man told the truth. "Old lady would have my ass if I didn't."

Genma huffed, kicking a stone on the street that lead to a certain silver haired jounin's apartment. "Yeah,yeah, but why am _I_ here?"

Asuma's answer was a blunt, "If I'm going down, you are too."

The other man sighed, his own object embedded between his lips. "Great. We're all going to hell and I'm driving the bus."

There was a pointed, "_You_ always were," answered with an like-minded, "This is true."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

After thinking things through, making his way home to his apartment earlier that day, Kakashi had been determined not to go to the little shindig he was so kindly invited to. He had steadfastly decided to stay the hell away from his and his friend's usual watering hole in favor of staying inside, far away from the pink haired kunoichi that was… his new found weakness.

Unfortunately, his genius brain hadn't calculated in his two so called friends who wouldn't take no for an answer. Apparently, they were invited as was the rest of his usual group. Kakashi figured Sakura, the perpetrator of the event, -no doubt with Ino's help- had probably invited half the village.

Still, he didn't see why his friends were so persistent about his company. Then again, they were all inside the village for the night, a feat that wasn't known to happen but once every blue moon these days…kind of like his sex life.

So, here he was sitting at a table, tipping his chair back listening to another inane story Gai was enthusiastically telling about some bad guys he tore into on his last mission. The only difference between this night and any other was the extra bodies lining the other tables that had been pushed together. The other occupants, besides his friends, included such people as: the chuunin from his previous mission, members of the old rookie nine, Umino Iruka, Shizune, and even the Hokage herself.

Of course the guest of honor was there as well. Naruto had slapped him on the shoulder with a loud exclamation of, _"I knew you'd make it!"_ leaving Kakashi feeling slightly guilty that he had come under forced actions.

The guilt left the moment Naruto moved from his seat further down the table to the empty chair beside him. He didn't mind the younger man's boisterous laughter so much anymore, but still…small doses.

It didn't look like his fortune was turning out so well that night. On his other side sat a woman who was known for the same ear-rattling laughter. His only reprieve was the empty chair between them that the kunoichi had deemed her leg rest. He felt some relief in knowing that no one was foolish enough to even come near it. He knew anyone that dared would be on the receiving end of nasty glare promising things that would no doubt be followed through if the ignorant fool persisted.

Kakashi inwardly sighed, not being around the usual crowd meant having to resort to lightening reflexes. It was something he had gotten used to over the years, what with wanting to keep his lower features hidden.

As Kakashi took a sip of his drink in blinding speeds, he couldn't help but wonder…

Turning to the blonde beside him, who was laughing at something Konohamaru had said, Kakashi Idly he asked, "And where is our illustrious hostess?"

Naruto took a deep swig of his drink and pounded his large mug on the table, loudly proclaiming, "She's late!" Snorting he turned to his former team leader, audaciously poking him in the shoulder, "Kind'a like you Kakashi-sensei!"

"Yes, but I'm here-" A dark eye roamed the table then, before adding somewhat morosely due to not actually being the one tardy this time, "And she's isn't."

With Konohamaru not so subtly eyeing the Copy-nin with a smirk, Naruto waved him off, "Aw, she'll be here." After another swig of his drink, he explained cheerfully, "Ino ain't here yet either." Rolling his eyes at the vain priorities of a female, he guessed, "Sakura-chan's probably trying to pry Ino out her door." Naruto shrugged, too used to such things from the Yamanaka woman. "She's probably busy trying to convince Ino that her butt doesn't look fat in her dress or something."

Just then manicured fingers latched on to his ear from behind as a highly irritated feminine voice asked darkly, "Whose butt looks fat?" With Naruto face scrunched up in pain with lots of '_ow_'s following, Ino, giving Konohamaru a flash of cleavage, leaned down whispering dangerously in Naruto's ear, "The only fat butt around here is the one on your shoulders Naruto."

Naruto spluttered out his apologies, pale and sweating as Ino promptly changed moods, taking up a seat next to the quiet Hyuuga on Naruto's other side. Kakashi chucked behind his mask shaking his head about to turn back to another one of Gai's absurd stories when several things happened. With the sound of the door being opened came many heads turning to look directly behind him. This was followed by Asuma's cigarette falling to his vest burning a hole in his pocket making Kurenai whack him in an attempt to put out the small smoldering fire and Genma's senbon clattering to the table with a dazed _"you owe me ten bucks"_ falling from his lips.

As he turned, Kakashi missed Ino and the Hokage's smirk, Naruto's dropped jaw, Hinata's light blush, and the rest of the table's shocked expressions. Konohamaru -unwittingly guessing correctly at just who the kunoichi had obviously dressed up for- waggled his eyebrows at the back of Kakashi's head as the man turned. If Kakashi had looked to his other side, he would have noticed the wink given to the new arrival as well as the removal of the woman's sandaled feet from the chair between them.

But he hadn't.

And he wouldn't…

… because right now, he was too busy ogling the sexy picturesque bit of kunoichi that was quite obviously… dressed to kill.

The white hot desire to do all the things that he had just recently fantasized about in his dreams overcoming him, Kakashi was positive in that moment about two things. One, in the long flowing dress, Sakura looked good enough to- well… the words he wanted to use were much too graphic to speak aloud. And two, Haruno Sakura was definitely his weakness.

She was a weakness Hatake Kakashi feared he might not be strong enough to survive. But as his wide dark eye roved over: the shapely shoulders exposed by the little black straps, the generous amount of cleavage from the V-neck dip, the high cut slits exposing creamy bits of thigh on either side of her toned legs, the way the material clung to the rest of her body showing off a curvaceous shape he had only seen in his dreams, Kakashi couldn't help but desperately think, _'Oh, but what a way to go…'_

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

**_To Be Continued _**


	10. Sacrificial Pride

**Sacrificial Pride**

Now, Sakura had been worried about Kakashi's reaction to her attire the entire time she and Ino had ventured their way to the bar. But the second she watched him turn around- Well…she was reveling in the power. That is until Kakashi seemed to compose himself. He nodded a hello, gave her an eye-crease and turned back around.

Sakura, more than a little peeved, made her way over to the table calmly saying her _hello's_ to the people that had gathered. Anko chose that point to start a loud conversation with the mild mannered schoolteacher down the way. The snake using woman crooned out a, "Oi Iruka!" licking her lips. Kicking the empty chair next to her a few inches closer to Kakashi in a normal bought of aggression, she asked, "When you gonna get your sexy little self some action?" She bared glittering sharp teeth in a feral grin toward the man as Sakura took her seat, easily sliding a portion of a bare thigh against Kakashi's leg in the process. The silver haired jounin's hand on his glass tightened as Anko finished with a wink and a crude, "Or am I gonna have to take _matters_ into my own hands tonight?"

Umino Iruka turned ten shades of red, spluttering, fumbling for a response. From the way she had said it, things were quite clear that Anko was talking about helping him out of his clothes instead of actually helping him out. She always did have a thing for innocence and naivety. Needless to say, all attention was focused on the blushing stuttering man down the table, who finally got out a polite, "N-No thank you Anko-san," in return.

This effectively made the others ignore Sakura's _'under the table'_ actions of completely disregarding the man's famously known penchant for keeping his personal bubble impenetrable. Still sliding her leg on his own, making the glass in Kakashi's hand crack slightly, Sakura made a play of reaching across the table on his side. The many bottles of the community sake were ordered for everyone to share. Sure, there was one right in front of Anko but Sakura wanted the one in front of Naruto. Besides, it was the only one that would unwittingly give Kakashi a nice view of her cleavage while the others were distracted. The plan was to make her attentions obvious to her target while leaving the other's around them –except those who were involved- unawares.

Kakashi's friends and her new found allies were doing a mighty fine job of ignoring her blatant moves.

After laughing at Iruka's discomfiture, Naruto leaned over Kakashi who was calmly repositioning his seat –away from the beautiful kunoichi beside him. In an awed tone, blue eyes roaming admiringly over the kunoichi sitting on Kakashi's other side, Naruto said, "You look beautiful Sakura-chan…"

Sakura gave her friend a warm smile, reaching across Kakashi again to pinch Naruto's cheek…rather hard saying a grateful, "Thank you," in return.

Ino's blonde brows furrowed a little ways down the table, taking in the woman turning heads in her own dress unwittingly giving the Copy-nin a clear shot down her front. Ino inwardly shook her head, _'Poor guy. Look at him.' _Sighing Ino thought dejectedly, _'She's really got to watch what she does.'_ Eyeing the older man known for reading porn in public, she continued, _'Don't want to go around attracting the wrong sort.' _

Ino had been sure the girl was going to take the seat next to her. She had been highly disappointed when Sakura hadn't. She knew her pink haired friend was going to draw lots of attention from the male persuasion and Ino had planned to take the many men that Sakura was no doubt going to shoo away.

The Yamanaka inwardly smirked thinking, _'Then again it's her own loss.' _Ino rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she poured herself a drink._ 'What a waste. No man's gonna want to come within yards of her now._' Blue eyes took in the image of the trench wearing obnoxious kunoichi on Sakura's other side._ '…at least not while she's sitting next to that god awful woman…'_

Ino was quickly brought out of her thoughts by Sakura standing from her seat.

Sakura, drink in hand, gathered everyone's attention. Looking upon her best friend with a true smile on her face, she said, "I'd like to make a toast to the man of the hour." There was a grumbled, "Well if you could call a ninja who still sleeps in his frog pajamas a man," that got the large crowd of people gathered laughing.

It seemed everyone she had asked had set aside their own lives and made time for Naruto's little celebration. Sakura, with Ino's help, had set about the day asking Naruto's friends to accompany them for a drink that night in his honor. She hadn't even given one thought to her best friend failing in his attempts. She knew he would make it. Naruto never failed at anything… Well, at least not the important stuff that is.

Turning her attention to Naruto again she continued, "You pestered us all about joining-" She received a sheepish _'oh, gosh'_ look from her friend here. Warm smile in place she concluded sincerely, "But we all knew you could do it."

Even before she retook her seat there was shouts of, "Here! Here!" and "Hell yeah!" that had the kyuubi container beaming the widest toothy smile she had ever seen. The moment her bottom hit her seat, Naruto launched himself out of his chair across Kakashi's lap and tackled her in her own. Arms flailing, chair tipping, with a loud shriek Sakura found herself back to the floor still in her chair with Naruto. Blue eyes shined down upon her with what she knew to be unshed tears.

Blonde brows furrowed as he managed to force past the lump in his throat. Laughter from the others around them, in a barely a whisper he rasped out a heartfelt, "Thank you Sakura-chan." She found herself on the receiving end of another hug there on the ground with the word, "thank you" whispered again into her ear.

How could she be angry after that? Giving in she hugged him back and returned his soft tone in a fond, "You deserve it bud."

Then she hit him in the head hard yelling, "Now get off me damn it!" realizing that the black dress she was wearing for the special occasion had dangerously come close to exposing more than just her legs flailing out of the sides of her slits. Even before Naruto moved to scramble off her profusely apologizing, her hands were already moving to keep herself covered.

She was just about to try to right herself and her chair when a hand came into view in front of her face as she laid there still in her tipped over position. It was a gloved hand. As her eyes silently roamed over the mask wearing man it belonged to, she couldn't help but smile. Letting him help her to her feet, Sakura bit her lip as he gave her a deep rumbled, "You look beautiful."

Genma, senbon back in place, openly leered at the formally dressed woman across and diagonal to him. An appreciative gleam in his eyes, Genma perversely commented enthusiastically, "Mm, mm, mm!" Dark eyes flicking up and down Sakura's waist, torso, chest, lightly made up face and upswept hair, he licked his lips proclaiming loudly, "Now, that's the kind of dress that needs nothing underneath!"

Sakura, outraged, scowled placing narrowed eyes in his direction growling, "Keep those perverted thoughts to yourself thanks." She added a grumbled, "some of us don't believe in going commando every chance we get"…retaking her seat, nonchalantly crossing her legs under the table…goading the slit of her dress high upon her hip…effectively showing the man on her side that her words were indeed anything but true.

Naruto beat Kakashi's back as the man choked on the speed of light drink he had just taken.

Gai, shook his head down the table. He didn't know what had happened, but he was very concerned about his rival's lack of willpower. Surely he had thought Kakashi would last much longer than Anko had said. If the Copy-nin carried on in such a way, Gai was almost certain his portion of the bet was going to end up in the ferocious kunoichi's netted pocket.

Kakashi, just getting over his relatively small heart attack, pressed a handful of napkins to his sake drenched mask…waving off Naruto's –not so helpful- bruising pounding.

Konohamaru, trying to hold in his rolling laughter, was glad in that moment for the dark fabric wrapped around the man's lower half of his face. If it had been absent, he was almost certain that his own features and clothes would have been drenched…not to mention the painful stinging the sake would have wrought on his delicate eyes. He didn't know what had just made the man choke, but he was sure about one thing. A smirk written all over his face…and in his voice the teen turned to Kakashi asking, "Something wrong senpai?" Quirked lips and a not so subtle look at the scantily clad woman beside Kakashi, Konohamaru added almost pityingly, "Hormones. They're a bitch. Aint' they?"

Napkins pressed to his mask, Kakashi gave the little punk a look that clearly said, _"I don't know what you think you know, but one more word out of you and I'll be feeding you to Pakkun."_

Konohamaru paled, suddenly turning to Moegi asking, "So uh, how's your drink?"

There was an amused, "You alright Kakashi?" from a smirking Tsunade who was sitting between Shizune and TenTen. The Hokage knew her apprentice. She knew the only dress that Sakura wore was red, normally having a white circle adorning its back. This dress had no back at all! But it wasn't just that. Usually when a woman made herself up so prettily, they scanned the room putting out a 'vibe' to help lure in potential suitors, but Sakura- Well, Tsunade's keen eyes had noticed that Sakura's gaze kept flicking to one man the entire time she had ventured toward the table.

The same man, she noticed wasn't exactly comfortable with being so close in proximity to the sultry looking female. Tsunade wasn't quite sure what was going on, but she could tell one thing. Sakura was obviously out to get herself a man. And by the way things were going, she had an inkling who that man was. The Hokage inwardly leered, _'Don't think you're going to win this battle Kakashi.'_ She smirked into her drink, _'Admit defeat son, losing can be fun.' _The Godiame sighed after hissing from the burning aftermath of her treasured sake turning a honeyed eye down the table to the self proclaimed gigolo with the senbon thinking, _'Oh, to be young again…' _

Sakura turned to Kakashi then, smiling gratefully. "Thanks for coming."

She received a flat, "It was mandatory," as his dark eye glared at Asuma and Genma, eyes burning from the strong scent of alcohol radiating from his mask. He turned a happy little eye-crease on her as he finished with a false cheerful tone accusing, "but I gather you already knew that."

Sakura gave him a bubbly, "Sorry, don't know what you're talking about," before striking up a conversation with her fellow medic and friend Moegi.

Kurenai tipped her drink in Kakashi's mask's direction saying helpfully, "You know, you should probably rinse that out." She shrugged. "Help with the smell and all."

Pursing his lips, he said thoughtfully, "Or go home and take it off."

Anko sharply leaned forward growling a warning, "Take off on us and I'll hunt you down myself Hatake." Covering her tracks she said, "I didn't make those two drag you out for nothing."

Asuma nudged the man further. "Getting a little red in the eye there buddy." Nodding his head to the back of the bar where the bathrooms were he said, "Maybe you should."

Sighing, getting up from the table, Kakashi had to agree that his eye was feeling the burn. "Be right back."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kakashi seriously second guessed wearing a mask as he was forced to take off not only his vest but the long-sleeved dark blue shirt and the tight black sleeveless shirt underneath just to wash out the attached mask.

As he stood there bare-chested he thought darkly, _'All this trouble because of one scantly clad kunoichi.' _

He still couldn't get over the fact that right now, at this very moment, Haruno Sakura was wearing absolutely nothing under that provocative piece of silk adorning her oh so curvaceous body. It was a dress that he desperately wanted to divest her of. But he couldn't.

He would not give in to his weakness.

But as the door opened, he found himself not so sure about that anymore.

Standing there unconsciously holding the fabric under the running water, Kakashi turned to the kuniochi who was biting her lip looking to the side with an obvious hue of pink tinting her cheeks.

Sakura hadn't been expecting to see him standing there clad in just his pants, but she wasn't necessarily complaining. A bare-chested Copy-nin just made her want to finish her mission that much more. After downing her drink giving her some liquid courage earlier, with Anko's promise of stabbing all who dare even walk toward the men's bathroom, Sakura had boldly gone where …most kunoichi never go. She had slipped away under the guise of…having to go to the bathroom.

Now, here she stood, trying to pluck up the courage to do what needed to be done. She knew extreme measures were going to have to be taken when dealing with Kakashi. He was just that type of man. Kakashi was the type of man that she knew she couldn't live without. And so that is why she was standing in the men's bathroom about to give him an offer she hoped he wouldn't refuse.

Basically Anko and Kurenai had explained that men were stupid and if a woman wanted them to understand anything she had to break it down in the simplest form and put it right in front of his face. …Hence the dress and her blatant attempts to put her assets right on the end of his nose.

Making her way over to him, she forced herself to look up into his narrowed eye. Dropping the act, Sakura truthfully told him in almost a whisper, "I've missed you."

Turning away from her, hands on the porcelain of the sink, Kakashi told her darkly, "You shouldn't be here."

Forcing herself to do so, she made her way over to him and gently put a hand on his bare bicep, "It's where you are, isn't?" He looked up into the mirror then. Looking his reflection in the eye she added steadfastly, "It's exactly where I want to be."

Looking down to her hand on his arm, he said just as quietly, "Sakura, we talked about this."

Not removing her hand, she replied defiantly, "I don't care."

Looking to the side away from her he said warningly, "…Sakura."

Not to be deterred, she explained earnestly, tenderly sliding her hand up and down his arm, "I'm not asking you to change." Moving behind him to wrap her arms around his waist, feeling thankful that he hadn't pushed her away she laid her cheek on his back saying softly, "I'm just asking to be part of your life."

Firmly unwrapping her arms from around him, he ground out, "I can't." Turning around, eye on his hands holding her wrists, he finished almost reluctantly, "Not the way you want."

Trying to wear him down, Sakura played out her final move. Calmly, watching him still gazing at his grip on her, she firmly ordered, "Kiss me."

Silver brows knitted frustrated. "Sakura-"

Cutting him off, intent to push things to the extreme to get him to tell the truth she daringly said, "If you want me to leave, you've got to kiss me first." Looking him straight in the eye, feeling almost sure that she had him, Sakura added, "If you kiss me and still want me to leave …I'll go." Quirking a corner of her mouth, Sakura gave him a little something to chew on. "I'll go and put this dress to good use."

Needless to say, her last words had an effect on him alright.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

"Naruto, a bladder full of sake, went to get up from the table…but was stopped when he felt the murderous intent flowing from the dangerous kunoichi two empty chairs over from him.

Voice full of menace, glaring daggers at the blonde, Anko demanded, "Where do you think you're going?"

Paused in mid-motion, Naruto paled stuttering out, "G-Going t-to the bathroom."

Pulling out a kunai, picking at her nails, she commented darkly, "Don't think you want to do that."

In a frightened daze he asked, "I don't?"

Anko shook her head in the negative, eyes still on her sharp weapon, "No. you don't." Pointing with her weapon she commanded, "Now sit!"

Needless to say, Naruto did what she asked. Just as the Hokage-wanna-be took his seat, Anko loudly commenced scaring the bajeezus out of a teenage boy who had just gotten up from his table by yelling out a heated, "Hey you!" in his direction.

Fortunately for the young man, Anko's interrogation was halted the moment Kakashi came from the back of the bar with an unconscious pink haired woman slung over one broad shoulder.

Tsunade was the first to speak up from her confusion. Incredulous, she asked, "What happened?"

Holding the kunoichi with one arm wrapped around the back of her thighs, other hand nervously scratching the back of his head, Kakashi explained, "Ah, ha-ha-ha-ha!" After a cough into his hand he continued with his usual flat tone, "Lightweight. Can't hold her drink." Nodding his head toward the exit, he said toneless, "Taking her home."

As the jounin disappeared through the door out into the night before anyone else could say a word, several things happened: Kakash's friends snickered into their drinks, Tsunade smirked knowingly in her seat, Konohamaru rubbed his hands together evilly next to an oblivious Moegi, Naruto quirked a blonde brow at the door and Ino eyed the single empty glass in front of Sakura's empty chair chewing on her lip as everyone else merely shrugged.

Tipping her chair back, sending a blushing Iruka a wink, Anko proudly puffed out her net covered chest thinking, _'Damn I'm good.'_

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The moment Sakura woke from her peaceful slumber, she opened her blurry eyes and took in the fact that red shingles were passing by in an almost blur.

On reflex, feeling as if she were falling, Sakura began flailing about screaming bloody murder. A not so light slap to her rear rendered her motionless and shocked. Taking in the fact that she wasn't crashing into a roof, blinking past the blur and taking in the sight of the backside of a familiar jounin, Sakura growled. "What the hell! Let me down! Kakashi!"

The silent shinobi she dangled over merely commented in dry tones, "Keep that up and I might accidentally drop you."

Sakura continued to thrash and pound on his back, screaming obscenities into the night, feeling quite positive that he wouldn't allow her to fall to her death. She was only glad to know that his arm around the back of her thighs was keeping the thin fabric of her skirt from flapping in the wind. All she needed right now was to add flashing to her current list of humiliations.

Pausing in her struggle as the memory of what happened leaked back into her brain, Sakura crossed her arms pouting still lightly bouncing on his shoulder. After a small silence she said matter of fact, "You tricked me and used the sharingan." After another short silence she added a fierce, "bastard," for good measure.

Kakashi's response was a simple, "That I did."

Pissed off beyond measure, Sakura managed to get out between clenched teeth, "Where the hell are you taking me?"

Ah, there was his few word sentences that made her blood boil. "Home."

Trying to reason with her current mode of transportation, Sakura changed her tone to one of understanding, "Look, I know you're probably upset about what happened-" Kakashi grunted, making her scowl. "But I'm neither drunk nor am I crippled." She finished with a shout of, "Kakashi I can walk on my own you know damn it!"

His response was a flat, "I'm aware."

Sakura huffed retaliating by smacking him on the butt from her dangling position. "Than put me down!"

Kakashi gave her a not so remorseful, "Sorry."

Sakura silently fumed from her upside-down position, blood running to her brain making her flushed in the face. She peevishly crossed her arms tighter, bouncing on the man's back as he continued to run and jump over rooftops.

It wasn't until Sakura noticed the turn to her apartment building becoming nothing more than a glimmer in her eye that she spoke up. Highly puzzled and irate she asked loudly, "Hey! I thought you said you were taking me home?"

She heard an offhanded, "I did," coming from the man still carrying her like a sack of potatoes.

Pointing, unseen, to the direction her apartment was known to be in, still dangling, she stated blandly, "My apartments over there Kakashi."

Kakashi let out an equally bland, "So it is."

At the end of her rope, Sakura started beating on his back again with an infuriated, "Gah! Where are you taking me!" cutting the air.

As if it were the most obvious thing in the world he reiterated, "I'm taking you home."

Sakura began to argue again pointing in the direction of her apartment with an angered, "Yeah but my-"

Until… she noticed the familiar white and yellow apartment building off in the distance to their right that Kakashi was now heading toward.

With a quiet shy whisper of the word, "Oh," Sakura understood.

He hadn't meant her home…he meant…his.

Silence ensued that lasted throughout Kakashi jumping down to stand in front of his apartment door. It also continued as he rummaged around in his vest pocket withdrawing his key. Sakura also kept silent as he locked the door behind him, going about taking off his sandals. Silence still reigned as he casually strolled over to the green and black shuriken printed bed across the small room. Sakura even kept quiet as he ungracefully flopped her down onto his slightly bouncy bed, her head sinking into his covered soft pillow.

Tightlipped she watched as he stood at the end of the bed casually unzipping his green vest looking her straight in the eye. With a wildly beating heart, she watched him as he slid it from his shoulders. After it ended up being flung to the corner of the room, she watched biting her bottom lip as he next discarded himself of the dark blue long-sleeved shirt, leaving himself in the tight formfitting black sleeveless undershirt with attached mask. Her breathing increased tenfold the moment he sank a knee to the bed and began crawling his way upward, over her rigid body. Lips still pressed tightly together, slightly afraid, slightly excited, she watched as he covered her body with his own, strong powerful legs on either side of her slender toned ones, large hands propping himself up on either side of her cautious features. Kakashi, using his right hand, slipped his headband from its slanted place, signifying that in that moment and for the next couple hours to come he wasn't the all powerful Copy-nin but Hatake Kakashi…the man.

He was a man who wanted the young beautiful woman beneath him in the worst way possible.

Silvery wild hair framing the masked face above, Sakura found herself staring into an intense pair of mismatches eyes as Kakashi tossed the metal and cloth object to the side. The moment it clunked to the wooden floor, Kakashi pressed his lower body to hers in a slow grind, hands tangling in her hair, lowering his masked lips to her ear. In a heated whisper he said, "A bar bathroom is no place to kiss you." After another slow grind, she felt the fabric of his mask on her neck as he rasped out, trying to contain himself, "Once this starts-" After a slow drag of his masked lips on her neck he added heatedly, " I don't intend to stop."

Biting down harder on her lip not knowing what to do in the slightest, but wanting things to continue with a white hot burning passion, Sakura went about giving him her answer. Closing her eyes and turning her head to give him more access, Sakura pressed her hips upward from the bed matching his slow movements, saying almost threateningly, "Don't you dare stop."

She felt him roughly tug down his mask then. The next moment she gasped as his hot open mouth came to rest on the crook of her neck in a hot wet kiss. Still rolling his hips against her, hands now sliding the thin straps from her shoulders, she heard him say the one thing that made her senses all the more heightened. In a deep, almost shaky voice Kakashi said into the flesh of her neck, breath fanning on her ear, "I want you Sakura."

Tangling her delicate fingers into his own hair, Sakura gently but firmly pulled him above her. Witnessing the clear want and desire in his dark and red eyes, she looked at him with her own lust filled hooded ones saying thickly, "I want you too," before pulling him down for a deep and long passionate kiss that had Kakashi pressing his entire body down onto her smaller form trying to melt into her. His sliding hands on her sides slipped to her back as he wrapped his strong arms around her in a tight embrace, taking the very breath from her with his hungry mouth. The moment she felt his cloth covered rigid hardness press hard to her barely covered flesh, Sakura threw her head back, biting back a moan, Kakashi's lips now on her chin.

Incensed, Kakashi repeated the harder grind of his hips sliding his covered length between her fleshy folds through the light material, deliciously rubbing against the sensitive button, watching and feeling Sakura's jaw clench under his mouth sliding down her jaw-line. After dipping his head and sliding his smooth cheek along the silky skin of her neck, his lips latched on to her earlobe where he passionately rasped out, "So beautiful." After a tender bite to her lobe he added adamantly, the side of his face now pressed tightly to the flesh of her neck. "…So soft."

Sakura felt the strong arms around her back massage their way to her sides. Kissing her feverishly, sliding the dress already handing from the tips of her breasts below her peaks, he cupped the sides of her rounded flesh. She was soft, yet firm, more than he had imagined. This was Sakura in the flesh and he was absolutely lost in it. He wanted to ingrain the sensation of her skin in his brain, to bring up anytime he needed the reminder…any time he was lacking without her.

Releasing her lips, Kakashi kissed down her neck to her collarbone. Then sliding his cheek down from the hollow in her throat to the valley of her breasts, he slid a hand between their rolling bodies to a creamy thigh. Slowly, savoring the feel, he moved it upwards taking the light material of her skirt with it. The black fabric pooled at her waist before his roaming appendage slid back down to cup her moist womanhood.

Just the feel of his large warm hand covering and touching a part of her that no man had ever dared… set her on fire, eliciting another deep moan of pleasure to fall from her parted lips. Kakashi lightly bit the side of her breast the moment the fingers sliding between her moistened folds elicited a shaky sharp intake of breath from the writhing woman beneath him.

She was slick and wet and overly sensitive to every little touch that he gave her.

The moment he sunk his fingers inside her, he quickly latched onto the fleshy pink peak near his mouth. The sound she made from his ministrations had him growling into her breast. This was better than all the fantasy's he had conjured up during those lonely nights in this very same bed. She was here, with him, and he was seriously thinking of never letting her go.

Sakura couldn't think being so close to him, so intimate, so…

His hands and mouth were doing strange and wonderful things to her, making incomprehension sensations erupting inside her belly…and her heart. She watched and felt him pull back from her breast, rubbing his cheek to the other as she felt the foreign feel of his fingers slip even deeper inside her body.

It was nothing like Ino had explained to her before. Kakashi wasn't just taking what he wanted. She felt like he was worshiping her body, savoring her feel and her sounds, wanting her to feel the fire that she could tell was burning inside him. In her mind it was like he was trying to communicate with her through action instead of words. Then again, wasn't that always his way?

Sakura, on the brink of rushing over that cliff of euphoria, had no idea how right she was.

Kakashi wanted his innocent lover's first time to be something memorable and pleasing…unlike his own, where he had been too drunk to even recall a thing. Of course he hadn't felt a thing for the prostitute he'd come across, not like the young woman he was desperately trying not to overpower and drive his way inside.

Yes, he wanted Sakura. He couldn't wait to sink inside her, but he wanted to be with her as well. This moment, the next and however many came afterward. He wouldn't deny it any longer. After this night there was no way in hell Kakashi was going to let another man anywhere near his treasured cherry blossom. She was his. She just didn't know it yet, but he was doing his damnedest to try to show her.

He wanted the feelings he could never express to come through in everything he did: in his tender touch, his passionate kiss, his gentle gaze. Kakashi wanted not sex from the beautiful woman in his arms. No. He wanted to do something he had never done before. He wanted to make love to this woman that had unwittingly stolen his heart. It was a heart he had just realized had belonged to her for weeks already…maybe even longer.

The overwhelming need to hear his love cry out his name in exhilarating release overcame him then, full of the emotion to mark her, to claim her as his own. He released her breast, kissing his way down to her toned belly to the inside of a slightly muscled thigh. Fingers still loosening her tightness for what was to come, Kakashi used his free hand to press the thigh he was lavishing with kisses to the bed.

Sakura, on reflex, tried to squeeze her legs together, embarrassed to have eyes roaming on a part of her body that she didn't even like to look at herself. But Kakashi's deep voice eased her selfconsciousness then. Leaning his body on her left thigh with his hand holding down the other, in-between fluttering kisses on her flesh, he gently coaxed, "It's alright Sakura. Just relax."

Trusting the man entirely, she forced her body to comply. Tremors over took her legs the moment she felt something soft and wet lap at the space above his gliding fingers. Her entire body went rigid as her back arched off the bed, her hands fisting in the shuriken printed covers at her sides.

This new sensation was almost too much for Sakura as her stomach muscles involuntarily clenched uncontrollably almost painfully with each flick of the tongue driving her insane between her twitching thighs. Chest heaving, head thrown back in ecstasy, Sakura loudly cried out Kakashi's name as the flood gates inside her opened and spilled forth, leaving her body weak and shaky.

As Sakura came down from her orgasmic high, Kakashi pulled off his tight black shirt from his position between feminine legs still faintly shuddering. The shirt ended up being thrown across the room in a glance. His hands glided up her lightly spasming thighs and up her hips and stomach guiding the dress with it as they went. Sitting up, heart beating wildly in her chest, still feeling slightly faint, Sakura raised her arms to help in the removal of her dress, eyes timidly gazing back into his.

Kakashi was looking at her in a way that made her feel special and not just from the things he had just done to her. His gaze was hard, yet tender, heated, yet calm. As her dressed was tossed over his shoulder, dark eye opened scarred eye closed continuously gazing at her intently, Sakura felt as if she was the luckiest woman alive. She loved this man. From his eternal tardiness, to his obsession with smut, she loved everything about him. And right now, she loved the way he was making her feel, like she was the only woman in the world.

To Kakashi, she was.

Sliding off the end of the bed, Kakashi stood gazing at her naked form as he removed the last remaining piece of clothing that he wore…his dark blue pants. Sakura, still in her sitting position with her hands on the bed beside her, slid her eyes to the side, embarrassedly biting her lip. She kept her eyes averted the entire time he crawled his way back over to her. Sakura shivered slightly as she felt his hands make contact with her bare shoulders. Feeling her slight apprehension, he rubbed his hands soothingly up and down her arms before, moving his left one to her neck, slipping it into her hair.

Sakura was forced to face him again as the hand in her hair went to her jaw and gently goaded her to turn. What she saw in his gaze floored her. His gaze was tender and almost…loving. The hand on her jaw slid to her neck. Sakura's lashes fluttered as he leaned in for a soft gentle kiss. Suddenly she felt herself leaning back as he gently lowered her to the bed again, lips still attached. The moment she felt his hard flesh press upon the opening to her soaked center, Sakura gasped, making Kakashi pull back from their kiss.

Sliding a hand down her body to positioning himself at her entrance, holding himself up with the other, he leaned down and whispered into her ear, not really sure since training and exercise might have nullified things. "This might hurt." Pulling back to look into her slightly apprehensive eyes he asked sincerely, "Are you ready?"

Sakura gave him a little nod in response, too nervous to do anything else. He kissed her lips once before sliding them to her shoulder and biting as he drove inside her in one swift motion. Sakura arched under him, crying out, but not from pain. The sensation of being filled was so unique. She couldn't explain it if she tried. In a way it slightly burned at first, but luckily he had already opened her up and made her slick enough beforehand to make their coupling enjoyable for her.

Instead of stilling inside her after being buried deep within her walls, he continued to methodically roll his hips against her. Forcing himself to remove his teeth from her shoulder, Kakashi kissed her again passionately. He dragged a slightly calloused hand down to her thigh. Gently squeezing, he slid that hand to the back of her knee guiding her leg around his waist, trying to dip deeper inside the body he never wanted to leave.

She was so tight, so wet, so warm, so…again so much more than he had ever imagined.

The vision on the black and green covered bed was nothing short of beautiful as the two sculpted bodies came together again and again, wrapped tightly in an embrace of nothing but the purest love. They were joined so tightly and in every way possible that they ceased to be two separate entities and became one being of love and lust. Kakashi's hard body covered her softer one like a large blanket. The only part of himself withdrawing from her close contact being his hips as they rolled and ground hard against her, creating a friction between them that forced each to gasp, moan, grunt, and sigh into the other's mouth.

Sakura was utterly caught up in the heat of passion, writhing under her silver haired lover's sweat slicked body, head turned to the side exchanging moans between fiery open mouthed kisses. A leg wrapped tightly around his manly hips, the other snaked around his leg, arms around his tense back and in his soft hair, Sakura relished the feel of every muscle that rippled beneath his taut skin as he moved against her.

Sliding his lips to her neck, his arms around her back forcing her to arch under him, Kakashi laid his cheek on her shapely shoulder, nose pressed to her flesh, desperately grunting out, "...come for me Sakura."

Wanting so much to do what her lover asked, but not quite there yet, Sakura tried to convey her need moaning out hoarsely, "Deeper…please I-"

Sakura was quickly cut off as he silenced her with a heated kiss. Feeling so close to his own release, but wanting his young lover to fall over the edge first, Kakashi slid his hands down her back to cup both of her toned cheeks. He quickly rolled over so that Sakura ended up on top. Kakashi slid his hands from her rump to her hips, roughly moving her back and forth over him as he pushed up from the bed in a hard grind.

In an effort to push even more of himself inside her, Kakashi instructed in a deep shaky voice, "Sit up for me Sakura."

Sakura pushed back to a sitting position, hands on his chest for leverage. In doing so she felt him slid deep inside her, his tip hitting a point within her body that told him he could go no further. The sensation was so pleasurable it was almost painful. He kept hitting that delicious spot so deep within her walls but still it wasn't enough.

In a desperate plea, slightly whimpering she begged, "Faster."

Sliding back on the bed, taking her with him, Kakashi maneuvered his back against his headboard and little shelf unit in a sitting position. Drawing his legs up for her back to rest on he latched his arms under and over her shoulders pushing her tightly down on his throbbing rigid length. Tight grip on her shoulders, feet planted firmly on his mattress, mouth latching on to a pink pebbled nipple, Kakashi jack-hammered himself in and out of her in a frenzied unwavering fashion.

Sakura could only throw her head back in ecstasy, arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders and head holding him to her breast as she bounced erratically on his lap. As he drove her almost to insanity with the pleasure he was relentlessly reaping on her body, Sakura found herself ever so thankful that her first time was with a man she loved…and a man that was obviously quite talented in the ways of pleasing a woman. If she had, had any doubts before about keeping him all to her self…which she didn't…but if she did…they were all completely thrown out the window by now.

Obviously many, many years of reading Icha-Icha coupled with the rigorous training of being an elite Konoha shinobi had turned her lover into something of a sexual god…well at least to her inexperienced mind.

Kakashi pulled back from her bouncing peak with a 'pop'. Pressing his cheek tightly to her breast, arms wrapped securely around her, not able to hold back any longer he hoarsely growled out, "… come for me."

Hearing his erotically commanding tone asking such a thing from her coupled with the feel of him buried so deep inside her, wrapped tightly in his strong arms, Sakura came hard in a full body shudder that left her seeing spots before her eyes.

Hips erratically jerking upward, mouth open, bottom row of his teeth slightly digging into the fleshly side of her right breast, hands on a bruising grip on her shoulders, raggedly, Kakashi came spilling his seed, filling Sakura with his added warmth deep inside her.

Sakura heavily panted exquisitely sated on his lap. Kakashi continued to cling to her body trying to still his furiously beating heart. Not looking at her, cheek still pressed to her heaving chest, Kakashi said one word… in an almost whisper, "Stay."

Brows furrowed, eyes slightly burning with the emotion she felt, Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered into his shock of silver hair adamantly, "Tonight, Tomorrow night, and every night afterward."

Holding the woman he loved tightly to his chest, Kakashi knew that the winds of change were in the works for him.

But as the words, "I love you," fell from his young lover's lips, he found…

….he really didn't give a damn.

In the past an important person in his life had once inspired change within him.

So now, quietly returning those three little words to Sakura, Kakashi found himself inwardly asking, 'Why not again?'

………………………………………………………………………………………………

(a/n) It took me FOREVER to figure out how to finish this but I thought it would only be fitting if it ended here. …Still not entirely happy with it. But I hope someone is. May do an epilogue though not certain though.


	11. A Day in the Life

**A Day in the Life-**

* * *

Sakura's body woke at the usual appointed time: 6am. In which case, it just happened to be a good thing, seeing as how she still had to go to work that day. Unfortunately, she couldn't sleep-in like the naked sloth, who apparently even in his sleep, didn't want to let her go. But instead of feeling anger, trying to pry his strong pale arms from around her waist…and chest, Sakura was busy wearing a slightly timid smile. 

Waking up beside a man she had spent the night with was all new to her. Even if it was someone she had known half her life; a man she loved deeply. A woman doesn't go from being only comfortable with a mirror seeing her nakedness to…prancing around in the buff in a strange apartment. Even if it was Kakashi's…and after what they had done.

Sakura continued in her struggle to extradite herself from the sleeping Copy-nin's grasp. But unaware to the naked kunoichi, the always alert shinobi had been awake ever since her first stirring.

Kakashi continued to play the role of a dead log while keeping the woman, he had just recently figured out he loved, deeply entrenched in his arms.

Sakura didn't become aware of the sly ninja's trickery until a deep amused rumble halted her actions from behind. "Going somewhere?"

The trapped kunoichi didn't know what was worse: the man's arrogant tone or the wide smile she couldn't fight down.

She quietly laughed, still facing away, before answering. "To work. Some of us aren't accustomed to being late unlike some people I know."

She felt his features twist into a smirk against the flesh of her back as his hold on her tightened. "Lucky you, you're stuck with that somebody."

Heart beating faster, since they hadn't really established anything between them since…well, since they didn't really talk, Sakura asked almost hesitatingly, "I…am?"

Kakashi gave her back a soft kiss. With a façade of arrogance he asked, "Lucky or stuck with me?"

Sakura smiled, staring at the desk across the room. Timidly she answered, "The second one."

With a suck of his teeth and a sigh, he said sadly, "Too late to back out now." Flatly he added, "You've seen too much. I'd have to dispose of you."

Sakura pressed her face into the pillow they shared trying to suppress her giggles. But then she realized she only had half an hour left to get to work and she still had to go home, shower and change. "Crap! I've got to go!"

This time when Sakura struggled to get up there was no resistance. Feeling somewhat relieved that she didn't have to root around looking for panties or having to bind her chest, Sakura haphazardly threw on the dress from the night before. Kakashi watched her every move with droopy eyes and a small smile from the bed. During the entire ordeal Sakura tried to keep her eyes from floating over to his naked torso and the bit of manly hip showing behind her. The image was clearly dangerous enough to cause her to be…hours late. Then again, as Sakura asked him somewhat irritably, somewhat amused heading into his bathroom to check her hair, she had to admit, it would be worth the punishment. But…she had to be strong. "How is it fair that you look like that in the morning?"

A corner of Kakashi's mouth lifted in a lazy smirk as he lay back in bed. "Handsome and irresistible?"

Sakura smiled at her bed-headed reflection saying teasingly, "How about irksome?"

After fruitlessly running her hand through her hair, she hurriedly came out of the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bed. Back to him, hands fidgeting in her silky skirt, she said timidly. "I don't want to go." Mournfully, chin hitting her chest she added, "But I have to."

Scooting behind her, propped up on an elbow on his side, the other hand now rubbing on her hip, he said consolingly, "It's alright." After a single chuckle, he added amusedly, "I don't want to be accused of corrupting you-" The hand on her squeezed. "-just yet."

Still not looking at him, feeling wholly embarrassed to be talking about such things with Kakashi, Sakura asked shyly, "So uh, I guess I'll be seeing you…sometime?"

Feeling her apprehension, Kakashi pulled her back into his chest, forcing her to finally look at him. With the smirk she had already deemed dead sexy he said playfully, "So much so you'll tire of me," before giving her a light kiss.

When they pulled away Sakura was beaming a kilowatt smile, giving him a sure, "That won't happen," in return.

She had meant her words too. She already knew every bad habit the man had…and still she had fallen in love with him.

Before pulling Sakura down for a last deep kiss before her departure, Kakashi said lightheartedly, "Here's to hoping."

Silver hair sunk into the pillow with the force of the exchange as he pulled Sakura tightly to him. After a full minute, Sakura forced herself to release his lips. Biting her bottom lip, she moved off the bed. Slowly walking backwards toward the exit bashfully smiling at Kakashi, Sakura said, "See you when I see you then I guess."

She forced her self not to melt as he gave her that smirk she loved coupled with a little wink.

Fumbling for the door behind her, she opened it giving him a shy, "Bye" before forcing herself to slid through the small slit of space she gave herself.

The moment the door finally closed and she was on the other side, the happy kunoichi took a moment to gather her wits. As she stood there with the doorknob still in her hand, back to the door, everything just seemed to come to light then. Sakura couldn't resist the insane urge that overtook her then. With nothing but the little piece of wood between her and Kakashi, Inner Sakura leaked out to Outer. The overjoyed young woman broke into a little victory dance pumping her fists. Thankfully her screams of "Oh yeah!" and "Whose the woman!" were only silently mouthed.

After finally composing herself, Sakura took to the roofs, wide smile still in place.

* * *

After the sounds of tapping feet halted outside his door Kakashi's quirked brow fell. With it went his back hitting the bed once again. 

Amusedly, he thought, _'That woman…'_

His grin only seemed to widen as Kakashi sank back under his covers, taking in her scent. In the process of going back to sleep, the sleepy shinobi found he was missing the pink haired kunoichi already.

Unfortunately, an official sounding knock on his door interrupted his would be slumber.

* * *

The moment Sakura stepped foot inside her apartment, the irate blonde kunoichi sitting on her couch reproached her. 

"Where have you been?"

Sakura sighed dejectedly. She still had fifteen minutes to go. Unfortunately it looked as though she was going to be subjected to Shizune's wrath regardless. A manicured finger poked Sakura's forehead, stopping her hurried walk to the dresser in the corner.

"Hey, Naruto forced me to stay here all night because of you!" Ino huffed wit her hands on her hips, a fierce glare in her blue eyes. "I think I deserve an answer."

"Naruto was here?"

Ino rolled her eyes going back to the couch. "Yeah, he even dragged Hinata along. After we left the bar, we came here to check on you, but somebody wasn't home."

Sakura paused while pulling out a fresh pair of panties from her top drawer. Not sure if she wanted to come out and tell her friend the truth she stalled, "Uh, well you see…"

Crossing her legs under her, as Sakura flipped on the light in her bathroom, Ino snorted, "Kakashi-sensei didn't kidnap and take advantage of you did he?"

With her back to the woman, Sakura paused in her bathroom's doorway. "Not exactly…"

Manicured hands covered red smeared lips in quiet surprise. "Oh my god." Ino jumped from the beige couch to her feet, eyes wide. "He did, didn't he!" Blue eyes blazing, a fist pumping in outrage; Ino loudly declared, "I'll pester Shikamaru into killing him!"

Sakura calmly picked up her toothbrush and toothpaste. "Pig, I wasn't raped."

"Oh." Shrugging her shoulders, Ino's mood made a 180. With the sound of teeth being brushed coming from the bathroom, Ino asked sitting back down on the couch. "Well, what happened?" Ino laughed back down on the couch, getting comfortable. With a snicker she asked, "What? He didn't know where you lived, so he took you're passed out ass to his place to sleep it off then?"

After the sound of gurgling, Sakura gave an indistinct, "More or less."

Ino raised a blond brow as she crossed her arms. "You're being awfully vague, Forehead."

Popping her head around the corner, Sakura shot back, "You're being awfully nosey Pig."

Sakura went about her business completely missing her friends sapphire eyes going wide. "Hey, where'd you get that!"

From back inside the bathroom Sakura asked turning on the shower, "Get what?"

The startled pink haired kunoichi almost had a heart attack the moment Ino came sliding into the bathroom in stocking feet, behind her, mutely pointing a finger at an area a little below Sakura's left ear. The confused woman looked down to see just what in the hell her crazy friend was talking about, but couldn't see anything out of place. Then Ino yanked on her arm, pulled her over to the little mirror above the sink and moved her hair. Pointing at the large black and blue like bruise along the side of her throat, Ino screeched, "That!"

Wincing from the physical reminder Kakashi had left on her person from last night, Sakura began timidly, "Well you see-"

Sakura watched her friend's reflection turn surprised as the Yamanaka finally caught on. Hands to her mouth, Ino shrieked in awe. "Holy shit! You had sex with Kakashi-sensei! Kakashi-sensei had sex with you! Kakashi-sensei had sex with a woman! With my friend! His former student! He really is straight!" Bouncing on her heels now, the blonde fired question after question in one long breath, "What's he looked like? Tell me he's hot! Is he good? How long did it last? Are you two an item? Have you guys done this before?" After hyperventilating a little more, Ino yelled again clutching her heart. "He's the mysterious man! You're in love with Kakashi-sensei!"

Shower forgotten, Sakura looked down to her sink with a dazed smile. "…Yeah"

After a few moments of trying to compose herself, Ino crossed her arms smugly and smirked at her friend's reflection. "I take it my little dress brought him around?"

Sakura looked up and gave Ino the same dreamy smile. "Yeah." Then her smile fell as her friend abruptly turned and quickly strode to her door. Running to her hurriedly departing friend and grabbing her wrist Sakura asked a smirking Ino, "Where are you going?"

Ino, too giddy to yank her wrist out of her friend's grip, stated as if it were clear as day, "To open up shop."

Sakura knew that was just Yamanaka code for _'To spread some gossip'_. Not wanting her business to be put out in the street just yet, Sakura let go of her friend's wrist. Crossing her arms and giving her a pointed look, she said, "Keep your big mouth shut pig."

Ino wasn't to be deterred however. Knowing her friends weakness, she asked. "What? Are you ashamed? Afraid of what people might say?"

Sakura gave her a sure, "No," in return.

Crossing her arms, Ino asked shrewdly, "Then, why does it matter? You two are an item now right?"

Sakura wasn't a hundred percent sure since her and Kakashi didn't really talk about that. Actually…they hadn't really said much last night at all. "I suppose."

"Then you should want other people to know!" Shaking her head, heading for the door Ino grumbled, "Kakashi-sensei... Now, why didn't I think of that?"

* * *

**Elsewhere in Konoha…**

"-two of you to take care of the miscreants causing trouble for the locals there."

And just like that, life for Kakashi was business as usual as he stood there on the other side of the Hokage's desk taking in his new mission details. Genma standing beside him was his only consolation…if you could call it that. He'd rather it be… No. Kakashi inwardly shook his head. He knew he wouldn't be able to concentrate if she was. He found himself thanking Kami for her new position in the hospital in that moment.

Tsunade turned narrowed eyes upon the silver haired man in front of her whose dark eye was staring at the floor. "Kakashi, am I boring you?"

The dark eye quickly looked up. After a cough into his hand, the man in question gave her an apologetic, "No. Of course not Hokage-sama."

"Good." Sakura waved the two men out of her office. "You're dismissed." As the two turned away, Tsunade called out with innocent tones. "Oh, Kakashi."

Kakashi turned back with his hands shoved deep in his pockets. "Yes, Hokage-sama?"

Words ringing with a double meaning, Tsunade smirked asking, "How did my little apprentice fair last night?"

The sound of metal clanging on the floor outside the door followed the widening of Kakashi's eye as he froze. Sweating profusely, scratching the back of his head he laughed out, "Hahahaha!" Then after a cough into his gloved hand, he calmly answered in his usual deep voice, "She's fine. She went right to sleep."

Quietly laughing at the man's discomfiture and obvious lie, Tsunade waved him out.

The moment Kakashi closed the door behind him; he turned to a smirking Genma in the process of picking up his fallen senbon. Kakashi started calmly walking down the hall away from his partner for the mission. Genma sauntered beside him quietly leering, "Wore her out did you?"

Kakashi just his eye on Genma and shook his head before whipping out his book.

The senbon user shook his own head amusedly. He was so wanting to take a poke at his friend's newest conquest. But he also wanted to know what was going on. So Genma figured he'd kill two birds with one stone. "Can I ask you something?" He received silence as they walked out of the double doors leading to the outside. Feeling sure in the fact that this was the only way to get an answer from his tightlipped friend, Genma leered, "Mind if I tap that next?"

Kakashi stopped and turned to his friend. With his dark eye narrowed to a slit he said in a deathly calm voice. "Because I know you didn't mean that, I'm willing to let it slide." He added a warning, "This time," for good measure.

Genma clapped his shoulder smiling, senbon bobbing between his glimmering teeth. "Happy for you man."

Kakashi gave him an eye-crease as Genma retracted his hand. Then in blank tones he instructed, "Front Gates in an hour."

Genma inwardly smirked knowing that the Copy-nin usually didn't take so long making preparations. The moment before Kakashi put up his hand in his usual goodbye, Genma told him smirking, "Kiss her goodbye for me too, would ya?"

* * *

The little intercom, unit on Sakura's desk, clicked and buzzed suddenly, interrupting her reading. An older woman's voice came over the speaker then. In a business like tones, the front desk clerk said after a crackle in the line, "Haruno Sakura there is a gentleman here to see you at the reception desk." 

Reaching for the black button underneath the printed words 'talk' Sakura grumbled, "That better not be Naruto again." Ino wasn't the only one waiting to interrogate her that morning. Naruto had been dropping by every hour to see if she was available. Not ready to hear her friends ranting yet, she had basically told Yome-san to lie for her. She knew she'd have to talk to him regardless but she wanted to wait until after getting off from work, in a time when she could yell to her hearts content. "Yome-san, if it's Naruto- Please just tell him I'm still busy."

In a singsong voice Yome said through the speaker, "It's not him." With laugher in her voice the older woman explained further. "It's that handsome hunk of man you were walking with the other day."

Sakura quickly looked around to make sure Shizune and her three medics were aptly busy. Shizune was busy watering the sunflowers in the corner as her three assistants were sitting on the floor pouring over dusty tomes. Feeling sure that their conversation was secure, Sakura quickly asked with a lower voice, "Silver hair?"

A smirk was clearly evident in Yome's voice. "That'd be the one."

Nervously running a hand through her hair, Sakura gave a quick reply. "I'll be right there."

"Shizune-senpai, I'll be right back."

As the pink haired kunoichi practically ran for the door, Shizune's knowing smirked remained unseen.

* * *

Sakura forced herself to slow her hurried gait to a more respectable walk as she rounded the corner to the lobby area. But she was defenseless against the wide smile that over came her features as she took in the sight of the familiar shinobi standing, reading his book, with his back to the side wall across from the front desk. Unconsciously biting her lip, Sakura gave him a little wave when he looked up from his book as she neared. On the receiving end of a happy little eye-crease, Sakura gave him a timid cheerful, "Hey you," in return. 

Putting his book away, Kakashi asked pointedly nodding his head toward the receptionist who was clearly taking in their every word, "Is there someplace we can talk?"

Hands in her white medic's coat pocket, Sakura smiled and nodded down the hall. "Yeah, come on."

They strolled side-by-side at a respectable distance from each other toward the first empty room -four doors on the right. The moment the door was closed, Sakura found Kakashi's arms around her from behind. With a masked chin on top of her head, Sakura's heart fell as Kakashi explained exactly why he had come. "There's a mission to Bird country."

Trying not to sound too disappointed from the injustice of it all, she forced her self to get out a simple. "Oh."

Kakashi felt the need to lighten the mood after hearing the sad tone of her voice. He was cursing the timing of his current mission himself. He had planned to meet her here after work, hoping to spend the rest of the day…and night with his treasured cherry blossom in his arms. Tightening his grip on the disappointed woman, the two of them still facing the door, he moved his masked lips to Sakura's shoulder by her ear. In a comical sigh, he told her dejectedly, "Stuck with Genma on this one."

Sakura turned her head to regard him with a smile. "Lucky you."

She turned around in his arms and pressed her cheek to his vest as she wrapped her arms around Kakashi's waist. The masked chin went back to the top of her head again as he quietly reassured her. "Shouldn't take more than a few days."

Sakura pulled back to look him understandingly in the eye. "You take as long as it needs to get the job done. Remember, I'm a shinobi too. I understand." She smiled as he pulled down his mask to smile back. With soft eyes and his hand on her cheek, she revealed quietly, "I'm just touched that you came by to tell me in person."

Tipping Sakura's chin up to him, Kakashi slowly walked her backward closing the gap between her and the door. With the kunoichi's back pressed to the cool metal, Kakashi leaned down whispering, "I had to see you before I left," before giving her a tender kiss.

The moment their soft, slightly parted lips met, Sakura felt his tender wet muscle enter and sweep the roof of her mouth. Immediately, with his hands tangled in her hair and her own around his waist, Sakura found herself go weak in the knees. Easily their simple kiss turned heated and animated. The door creaked behind her as Kakashi leaned further in, deepening the kiss to a whole other level.

The man who had said he lived and breathed for duty had actually made time to come and see her before he had to leave on a mission! Without her having to ask him! Not only that, but Kakashi was kissing her like it was the last moment they would ever share together. She desperately pushed away the little voice that relayed the dismal thought that it just might be. But she wouldn't wallow in that aspect.

She knew it wasn't healthy.

Sakura felt his hands leave her hair and slide inside her lab coat. She gasped when she felt his warmth on her sides, sliding up and down, thumbs brushing her bound breasts.

From Kakashi's internal clock he knew he only had twenty five minutes left. Regardless, he was steadily thinking about using that time rather wisely…with his pink haired lover in his arms.

The moment Kakashi's left hand moved down to the back of her thigh, lifting it to rest on his manly hip, Sakura moaned into the mouth taking her breath away. She could feel his arousal quite clearly pressing hard to her center, her skirt riding high on her hips.

Willing himself to calm down, Kakashi forced his right hand from her breast and let go of her leg. Ripping himself from her lips, he pressed his forehead to hers. Kakashi panted trying to find some semblance of self-control, but finding it hard as hell to do with the warm body so close to his own.

Closing his eyes tightly, hearing nothing but the blood pumping in his ears, Kakashi hoarsely ground out, "I have to go," before kissing her cheek.

Turning and kissing his lips, Sakura told him breathless, "I'll be here."

After many more little kisses shared, Kakashi finally found his way out of treatment room 4…leaving Sakura and himself a little too hot and bothered to keep their mind on work for longer than a few minutes.

**

* * *

**

**A Week Later…**

Sakura found herself sitting in her apartment to be worse than hell it's self. Every time she found a quiet moment all she could think about was Kakashi. Even though she knew he was a capable shinobi, all she kept thinking about was: Was he alright? Is he in danger? Is Genma getting on his nerves? Is he eating alright? Is he thinking about her? Does he miss her?

But as she sat there across from Ino in the usual bar, being completely ignored for the blonde's man of the hour, Sakura's thoughts still roamed to the one man she missed so much.

A loud screech from across the room got her attention then. "Hey Pinky!"

Sakura looked around and found a slightly fanged kunoichi yelling her way from the booth that Kakashi was known to frequent in the back.

With Kunenai next to her, Anko ordered, "Get over here!"

Thankful for the intrusion, Sakura turned to her oblivious companion attached to her new man at the lips, "Uh Ino-" Sakura sighed getting up after remaining ignored. "Never mind."

Sakura made her way over to the two older women in the corner. "Sit on down here girlie." Anko put her arm around Sakura. Leering the snake user asked, "So how was it?" with kurenai rolling her eyes.

Wide-eyed Sakura paled, sputtering. After many failed attempts she asked, "Excuse me?"

Kurenai shook her head. In consoling tones, she turned to the younger woman. "Sakura, you don't have to answer that."

The Mitarashi woman pouted. "Oh come on! It's just us girls here."

"Anko. Just because you've always been interested in Hatake's prowess, doesn't mean I've been."

Anko pouted even more. "No fun." Then her mood went back to lax as she put up her sandaled feet on the vinyl seat beside the ruby eyed kunoichi across from her. Hand's lacing behind her head as she sank into the cushion behind her, Anko turned to the saddened woman beside her. "So, what's up Pinky, you seem distracted." Nudging Sakura's trench coated shoulder with her own, Anko jibbed, "Aw, does pinky miss ol' One-eye?"

Feeling irritable and moody from 'Lackisus of Kakashisus' symdrome, Sakura leaned back next to Anko and gave her a flat, "Did you invite me over here to rescue me or make fun of me?"

Laughing, feeling that she was actually starting to like the young woman, Anko snickered. Then after taking a drink, she told the truth. "To make fun of you-"

Sakura rolled her eyes, thinking she should have known better. Why else would Kakashi's friends call her over when he wasn't there.

Flipping her straw between her teeth, reminding Sakura of a certain senbon user, Anko added smirking, "-and to rescue you from boredom."

Kurenai jutted her chin at Sakura with her arms crossed. "You're one of us now." Flicking her eyes to the trenched kunoichi across from her, she added, "So you're gonna have to get used to her."

Anko flicked her straw from her mouth "Hey!" leaving Kurenai to draw a face wiping her saliva sprinkled face with a napkin.

Finally smiling, feeling grateful for the two's acceptance, Sakura laughed out, "You guys realize that Naruto's part of that packaged deal too right?"

Anko rolled her eyes before downing her drink. "Don't remind us." Then she brightened, speaking conspiratorially. "Hey do you wanna hear some juicy stories about Hatake?"

Sakura gave a wide smile. "Yeah." With a nod she added, "I would."

Anko pumped a fist. "Yes! Fresh ears!"

Kurenai got comfortable in her seat turning an amused look to the pink haired kunoichi. "You're in for a long night just so you know."

Sakura shrugged, feeling positive in her words. "That's ok."

Anko pounded the table with a palm. "Alright! Well there was this one time me, Hatake and Asuma-"

**

* * *

**

**Later That Same Night… **

The hour was late, so very late. Not a single person was up and about; the only individuals awake were the sorry sacs who had to pull gate duty that night.

Kakashi was tired. Dog tired. The mission had gone easy enough. The pack of outlaws hadn't been anything Genma and himself couldn't of handled blind folded and maybe missing a limb or two. It would have been a solo mission had it not been for their sheer numbers. But he wasn't tired from kicking scum ass. No. Genma had suggested forgoing camping for the night to seriously push the return journey home. His excuse had been because there was some friend's hot cousin leaving to go back to Grass country the next day.

Kakashi hadn't argued.

That's why he was dragging ass through the main streets of the village now, having said goodbye to Genma upon their arrival. All he wanted to do was fall into a coma like sleep. But even before that, there was still one more thing he wanted to do.

Coming upon a familiar apartment building, Kakashi's dark eye zoomed in on a certain window. Her lights were out and the window was open. But that was to be expected at 3am in the morning. From the exhausted Copy-nin's vantage point, making his way over the nearest rooftop, he could just see the outline of her silhouette lying on the bed against the sidewall.

Kakashi made a mental note to tell the oblivious scantily clad kunoichi to invest in some thicker curtains…or to at least buy some blinds as he silently jumped to her windowsill. The moment he landed, the woman he thought was asleep came to a defensive fighting pose on her bed, kunai, that she whipped out from under her mattress, in hand.

Kakashi gave the highly alert woman an eye-crease and a silent hand waved 'yo'.

Sakura, heart beating wildly and wide-eyed, gave him a not so silent, "Damn it Kakashi you scared the shit out of me!" jabbing her kunai in his direction.

Kakashi jumped down into her room with silent laughter overtaking him as he shook his head. Coming down from her adrenaline high, Sakura flopped back onto her bed with a hand to her heart. Still on her back, Sakura turned to Kakashi slightly panting. Sounding out of breath, she said, "Although I'm really glad to see that you're back-" Sakura sat up and looking him over. "What are you doing here?"

Ignoring Sakura's question, he turned to her open window. "You should lock that." Turning back to the young woman seemingly unaware to the fact that she was sitting only in her bindings and cotton panties, Kakashi added flatly, "Anyone can break in."

Sakura raised a shrewd eyebrow, pursing her lips, "You mean like you?" Then she noticed the redness in his eye and the extra slouch in his…slouch. Patting the spot beside her on the pink twin sized bed, her standoffish attitude softened. Looking at the clock reading 3:13am Sakura said semi awed, "Wow, you must be tired."

Kakashi pulled off his pack and dropped it to the floor in the corner of her room next to her desk. Scooting back to the spot next to the wall, throwing the covers over herself, Sakura watched as he next stripped himself of everything but his pants. Sakura's eyes roamed over the scar sprinkled body before her, catching on the huge bruise on his left side as Kakashi climbed into the small bed beside her.

Watching him wince as she poked the black and blue area, Sakura sucked her teeth shaking her head. "Here, let me."

She drew the covers back without being given permission. Giving the man, who always chose to suffer through the pain instead of asking for help, a silent glare, Sakura placed a healing hand over the area. In just a short few moments, the bluish white glow diminished and Kakashi's side was left feeling ten times better. Sliding her hand softly upon the newly healed warm skin, Sakura's curiosity got the better of her. "What happened?"

Eyes extremely heavy, what with the soft pillow under his head and his tired muscles finally relaxing, Kakashi pulled her down on top of his chest. In a low rumble he smacked his lips and simply said, "Morning."

Feeling slightly miffed, but equally tired, Sakura gave in, but not before saying in an equally exhausted voice, "Did you know Kotetsu used to have a thing for you? Anko told me."

Kakashi looked down at her with wide mismatched eyes.

Snuggling into the warmth of his chest, Sakura said smugly, "Morning."

* * *

**6 Months Later **

A pink haired woman holding one side of a bookshelf looked around with fire in her emerald eyes. "Where is he!"

A Naruto shadow clone, holding the other end of the piece of furniture, sweated profusely. "Uh, Sakura-chan-" Looking over to the many boxes marked 'Kakashi's junk' that the owner had just been standing by, the tired blonde quirked a brow. "-he was just here a second ago."

There was a grumbled, "Not again," before the infuriated kunoichi sucked in a breath. Sakura shuffled her lover's smutty book holder against the wall of the new apartment they had just rented letting out her held breath in one very loud yell. "Hatake Kakashi! Get your ass out here!"

A certain silver haired shinobi winced, reading by the light of a flashlight, in the back of a spacious walk-in closet.

Kakashi sighed closing the new paperback he had just picked up that morning. 'She just had to go and pick the day Icha Icha War came out to move…'

Just then his senses tingled, feeling a familiar chakra signature approaching his position. Melting back into the shadows…standing behind Sakura's hanging uniforms, Kakashi stilled as the door was thrown open.

After a moment, a manly deep voice flatly filtered to his ear, "I can see your feet Hatake."

Kakashi, caught, pushed Sakura's clothes back and stepped out into the light, nervously scratching the back of his head. "Ah, hahahaha! I was just-"

Genma shook his head amusedly, cutting him off. "You know, Sakura's got that crazed look in her eye. I'd be careful if I were you."

Kakashi sighed dejectedly, chin to his chest. Genma, feeling no pity for his not so sly friend, pushed Kakashi out the door to face the music.

Bookshelf now in place, Sakura turned around to see her significant other slouching rather guiltily with his hands in his pockets in the doorway to their new bedroom. The Naruto clone, feeling the murderous intent flowing like water off the woman to his left, quickly made a beeline for the exit to the room, giving the silver haired man he passed by a shaky, 'Sucks to be you' in passing.

Genma gave his sulking friend a few words of advice before following after the one of many imitation Narutos. A hand resting on a vest covered shoulder, Sakura glaring pure death at their forms, Genma whispered, "Lie. Lie your ass off my friend."

The moment the door closed, Sakura watched Kakashi slowly make his way over to her as she crossed her arms and tapped her foot. Hands on her shoulders, Kakashi leaned down and kissed her cheek.

Sakura remained unmoved.

With narrowed emerald eyes, the angered woman calmly asked, "You were reading that new book of yours again weren't you?"

Sakura growled as a headband covered forehead slumped to her shoulder in defeat.

Her scowl soon melted into a smile as soft comical whimpering came from the mass of silver rolling about on her shoulder. Shaking her head stifling a laugh, Sakura amusedly told the sometimes infuriating man she loved, "You're lucky I love you."

Sakura laughed as Kakashi pulled back, mask now pooled around his chin. With the side of his lips quirked in that sexy little smirk she loved, Kakashi looked her in the eye, his own dancing with mirth. "That… and the fact that Genma has no morals."

After giving the smirking man a chaste kiss on the lips, Sakura agreed with a dramatic sigh. "Yeah, if it wasn't for Mr. Wonder Perv you never would have noticed the beautiful, intelligent woman right on the end of your-" Kakashi received a tap to his perfectly sculpted features here. "- nose."

And as he leaned in to give a deep content kiss to the woman he loved for the first time in their new humble abode, Kakashi had to admit she was right. If it wasn't for Genma's unorthodox influence he might have missed out on the greatest thing that had ever happened to him. For as duty had always given him direction and purpose….

….Sakura made him feel whole and gave him a reason to live….to really live.

He wasn't just coasting through life anymore, going from one tedious mission to the other. He was happy. He was content. He was alive…and for the first time in his life, he was thankful.

It was true that Genma had one of the dirtiest minds in Konoha, but then again…Kakashi was glad. For, he was quite aware that his new found happiness really was…his fault indeed.

The End!

* * *

I hope no one overdosed on the sugary sweetness of this chapter. Eh, what can I say? I love the sappyness! I just had to put in the idea of them moving in together. I also thought it would be sweet if his Icha Icha came out on the same day….hehehehehe! Gotta love Kakashi. 


End file.
